Severe 25E-NBOH intoxication associated with MDPHP intake: a case report, metabolism study, and literature review

1-(2,5-Dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI): From an Obscure to Pivotal Member of the DOX Family of Serotonergic Psychedelic Agents - A Review

1-(2,5-Dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI, or DOX where X = -I) was first synthesized in 1973 in a structure-activity study to explore the effect of various aryl substituents on the then newly identified, and subsequently controlled, hallucinogenic agent 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOM, or DOX where X = -CH3). Over time, DOI was found to be a serotonin (5-HT) receptor agonist using various peripheral 5-HT receptor tissue assays and later, following the identification of multiple families of central 5-HT receptors, an agonist at 5-HT2 serotonin receptors in rat and, then, human brain. Today, classical hallucinogens, currently referred to as serotonergic psychedelic agents, are receiving considerable attention for their potential therapeutic application in various neuropsychiatric disorders including treatment-resistant depression. Here, we review, for the first time, the historical and current developments that led to DOI becoming a unique, perhaps a landmark, agent in 5-HT2 receptor research.

Metabolic characterization of 25X-NBOH and 25X-NBOMe phenethylamines based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS in human liver microsomes

The types and quantities of new psychoactive substances synthesized based on structural modifications have increased rapidly in recent years and pose a great challenge to clinical and forensic laboratories. N-benzyl derivatives of phenethylamines, 25B-NBOH, 25E-NBOH, 25H-NBOH, and 25iP-NBOMe have begun to flow into the black market and have caused several poisoning cases and even fatal cases. The aim of this study was to avoid false negative results by detecting the parent drug and its metabolites to extend the detection window in biological matrices and provide basic data for the simultaneous determination of illegal drugs and metabolites in forensic and emergency cases. To facilitate the comparison of metabolic characteristics, we divided the four compounds into two groups of types, 25X-NBOH and 25X-NBOMe. The in vitro phase I and phase II metabolism of these four compounds was investigated by incubating 10 mg mL-1 pooled human liver microsomes with co-substrates for 180 min at 37 ℃, and then analyzing the reaction mixture using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap mass spectrometry. In total, 70 metabolites were obtained for the four compounds. The major biotransformations were O-demethylation, hydroxylation, dehydrogenation, N-dehydroxybenzyl, N-demethoxybenzyl, oxidate transformation to ketone and carboxylate, glucuronidation, and their combination reactions. We recommended the major metabolites with high peak area ratio as biomarkers, B2-1 (56.61%), B2-2 (17.43%) and B6 (17.78%) for 25B-NBOH, E2-1 (42.81%), E2-2 (34.90%) and E8-2 (10.18%) for 25E-NBOH, H5 (49.28%), H2-1 (21.54%), and H1 (18.37%) for 25H-NBOH, P3-1 (10.94%), P3-2 (33.18%), P3-3 (14.85%) and P12-2 (23.00%) for 25iP-NBOMe. This is a study to evaluate their metabolic characteristics in detail. Comparative analysis of the N-benzyl derivatives of phenethylamines provided basic data for elucidating their pharmacology and toxicity. Timely analysis of the metabolic profiles of compounds with abuse potential will facilitate the early development of regulatory measures.