Can alpha-phenylethylamine cause liver damage?/nBackground: This chemical substance was found (usin

Fråga: Can alpha-phenylethylamine cause liver damage?

Background: This chemical substance was found (using GC-MS) together with amphetamine in a powder specimen sent to the laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology, Huddinge Hospital. A drug addict has been using the powder intravenously and has now been hospitalized because of clear increases in liver transaminases.

Sammanfattning: Very little is known about the effects of alpha-phenylethylamine in humans. The possibility for liver damage can not be excluded.

Svar: Alpha-phenylethylamine (alpha-methylbenzylamine) and beta-phenylethylamine are structurally related to amphetamine. The latter is an endogenous amine which may play a role in the etiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders (1). Alpha-phenylethylamine is a strong base and its oral LD50 in rats is approximately one g/kg (2). Alpha-phenylethylamine has an asymmetric carbon and especially the dextroisomer appears to be a weak MAO-inhibitor (3). Its possible effects in humans are not known and we could not find any data suggesting therapeutic or other medical use of this chemical. According to the National Laboratory of Forensic Sciences (Kriminaltekniska laboratoriet), alpha-phenylethylamine is quite commonly found in illegal amphetamine preparations (4). The reason for this is unclear, but one theory is based on the assumption that alpha-phenylethylamine could reduce the clearance of amphetamine and thus prolong its effects. A more likely explanation is, however, simple fraud by the manufactures or dealers (4).

In Medline searches covering years 1966-1994 we could not find any references about liver toxicity of alpha-phenylethylamine or its interactions with amphetamine enlightening the possible reasons for co-administration with amphetamine. Toxline did not provide any additional information on the subject.

It should also be emphasized that the chemical analysis performed at our laboratory can not exclude the possibility for additional compounds in the powder. 1 Wolf ME, Mosnaim AD: Minireview. Phenylethylamine in neuropsychiatric disorders. Gen Pharmac 1983; 1: 385-390 2 The Merck Index, 1983; page 865 3 Grana E, Lilla L: The inhibition of amine oxidase and the central stimulating action of the stereoisomeric amphetamines and 1-phenylethylamines. Br J Pharmacol 1959; 14: 501-504 4 Personal communication, Steve Alm, National Laboratory of Forensic Sciences