Talk:Α-Methyldopamine

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It is a metabolite of various amphetamine derivatives such as amphetamine itself

Amphetamine and methamphetamine, lacking the methylenedioxy ring to begin with, are metabolised to mono-hydroxy (para) derivatives, which doesn't fit with alpha-methyl DOPA being the primary route of neurotoxicity for MDMA so well.

The explanation for amphetamine / methamphetamine including, among others;

- Hyperthermia - Radical based damage during metabolism of excess dopamine (oxidative stress) - Radical generation is increased by interference with electron transport chain by the drugs themselves

I have seen journal / handbook entries regarding hyperthermia induced damage being common to all amphetamines, and am doubtful this is a key cause of neurotoxicity. Quotes of persistent core body temperatures around 40C are noted for studies in rats and that they needed rescuing from said hyperthermia. This is can not be a cause so common to humans as users can easily spend years taking as much methamphetamine as they can and not require intervention to deal with hyperthermia. I believe a human, unlike a rat, benefits from not having a fur coat, realising they're on the drug and taking (being capable of taking) measures to cool themselves down in such instances (e.g. not doing laps round the house). From the US Department of Health and Human service, Office of Research Integrity;

"Due to their small size and high proportion of body surface to mass, they [rodents] are highly sensitive to water loss and do not do well with wide fluctuations in room temperatures. They do not pant and have no sweat glands; they mainly deal with higher room temperatures with decreasing their metabolism or increasing their body temperature."

I personally suspect the diet it's self of routine amphetamine users to be a potential aggravating factor; e.g. an entire week surviving on a few liquid beverages is going to cause some fairly odd osmotic conditions, particularly if those are really sugary / beers. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 31.52.251.187 (talk) 20:34, 26 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]