DMAI, also known as BD-214, UCD0076, or 4-(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl)indole (4-DMAEI), is a monoamine receptor modulator of the phenethylamine family. It is the positional isomer of the psychedelic drug dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in which the side chain has been moved from the 3 position to the 4 position, making the compound a phenethylamine rather than a tryptamine. The drug can also be considered a partial ergoline.
Pharmacology Pharmacodynamics DMAI shows weak affinity for the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor (Ki = 1,970nM). The drug shows no agonism of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, instead acting as a weak antagonist of this receptor. It is a partial agonist of the serotonin 5-HT2B receptor, with an of 1,630nM and an of 44%. In addition, it is a potent high-efficacy partial agonist of the serotonin 5-HT2C receptor, with an of 334nM and an of 83%. DMAI is also a high-efficacy agonist of the serotonin 5-HT1 receptors, with values of approximately 500 to 800nM (except 134nM at 5-HT1D) and values of greater than 80%. It is a potent and moderate-efficacy partial agonist of the dopamine D2 receptor, with an of 588nM and an of 43%.
In accordance with its lack of serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonism, DMAI failed to produce the head-twitch response, a behavioral proxy of psychedelic effects, in rodents. Instead, it suppressed the 5-MeO-DMT-induced head-twitch response and antagonized amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion, effects suggestive of antipsychotic-like activity. The drug has also been reported to produce sympathomimetic effects in cats, which might be mediated by α1-adrenergic receptor stimulation or α2-adrenergic receptor antagonism. It robustly suppresses prolactin levels in rodents, which is assumed to be due to its dopamine D2 receptor agonism.
Chemistry The chemical synthesis of DMAI has been described. Some analogues of DMAI include DEAI (4-(N,N-diethylaminoethyl)indole; 4-DEAEI; BD-271) and DPAI (4-(N,N-dipropylaminoethyl)indole; 4-DPAEI; 2-desoxo-2-ene-ropinirole; BD-179).
History DMAI was first described in the scientific literature by 1984. Subsequently, it was described in greater detail by David E. Olson and colleagues in 2026.
See also Dimethylaminoethylindole Substituted phenethylamine Partial ergoline 4-(2-Aminopropyl)indole (4-API)
References
External links DMAI - Isomer Design