α-Pyrrolidinoisohexanophenone (mainly known as A-PiHP or α-PiHP) is a
stimulant
Stimulants (also known as central nervous system stimulants, or psychostimulants, or colloquially as uppers) are a class of drugs that increase alertness. They are used for various purposes, such as enhancing attention, motivation, cognition, ...
drug of the
cathinone
Cathinone (; also known as β-ketoamphetamine) is a monoamine alkaloid found in the shrub ''Catha edulis'' (khat) and is chemically similar to ephedrine, cathine, methcathinone and other amphetamines. It is probably the main contributor to t ...
class that has been sold online as a
designer drug
A designer drug is a structural or functional analog of a controlled substance that has been designed to mimic the pharmacological effects of the original drug, while avoiding classification as illegal and/or detection in standard drug tests. ...
. It acts as a potent
norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI). In July 2016 α-PiHP was first identified as a designer drug when it was reported to the
EMCDDA
The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), known until 2024 as the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), is an agency of the European Union headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, and established in 1993.
In June 2022, the ...
by a forensic laboratory in Slovenia.
It is a positional isomer of pyrovalerone, with the methyl group shifted from the 4-position of the aromatic ring to the 4-position of the acyl chain. Similarly to other cathinones, use of α-PiHP can result in compulsive redosing, addiction, anxiety, paranoia, and psychosis.
Pharmacology
In a classic 2006 study of pyrrolidinyl cathinone derivatives by Meltzer et al. at
Organix, the alpha-isobutyl derivative of pyrovalerone, O-2494, was found to have the highest potency ''in vitro'' as an
inhibitor
Inhibitor or inhibition may refer to:
Biology
* Enzyme inhibitor, a substance that binds to an enzyme and decreases the enzyme's activity
* Reuptake inhibitor, a substance that increases neurotransmission by blocking the reuptake of a neurotransmi ...
of the
dopamine transporter
The dopamine transporter (DAT, also sodium-dependent dopamine transporter) is a membrane-spanning protein coded for in humans by the ''SLC6A3'' gene (also known as ''DAT1''), that pumps the neurotransmitter dopamine out of the synaptic cleft ba ...
of the alpha substituted derivatives tested.
Compared to α-PVP and α-PHP, α-PiHP displays a higher selectivity for the dopamine transporter.
See also
*
3F-PiHP
3F-PiHP (3F-α-PiHP) is a recreational designer drug from the substituted cathinone family, with stimulant effects. It was first identified in both Sweden and Finland in mid-2019, and was made illegal in Finland in August 2019.
See also
* 3-Flu ...
*
Aletamine
Alfetamine, or α-allyl- phen ethylamine, is a chemical compound of the phenethylamine family. It was briefly investigated as a possible antidepressant in the early 1970s. Its activity profile was said to be very similar to imipramine and amitrip ...
*
α-PHP
*
α-PCYP
α-PCyP (α-PyrrolidinoCyclohexanoPhenone) is a stimulant drug of the Substituted cathinone, cathinone class that has been sold online as a designer drug. In a series of alpha-substituted pyrrolidinyl cathinone derivatives developed in 2015, th ...
*
Solriamfetol
Solriamfetol, sold under the brand name Sunosi, is a wakefulness-promoting medication used in the treatment of excessive sleepiness related to narcolepsy and sleep apnea. It is taken by mouth.
Common side effects of solriamfetol include hea ...
References
Pyrrolidinophenones
Designer drugs
Serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine releasing agents
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