Department of Medical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. drdave@sage.cc.purdue.edu
Studies of the affinities for serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT1A receptor subtypes of lysergic acid amides prepared from chiral 2-aminoalkanes showed a stereoselective preference at both receptor types for the amides with alkyl groups containing the R configuration. The 5-HT2A receptor was less tolerant of long alkyl groups than was the 5-HT1A subtype. In vivo assays in rats trained to discriminate LSD from saline also showed that amides with alkyl groups having the R configuration were most potent.