para-Chloroamphetamine (PCA), also known as 4-chloroamphetamine (4-CA), is an amphetamine

Amphetamine

Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...

 derivative and monoamine releaser

Releasing agent

A releasing agent , or simply releaser, is a drug that induces the release of a neurotransmitter from the presynaptic neuron into the synapse, leading to an increase in the extracellular concentrations of the neurotransmitter. Many drugs use neurotransmitter release to exert their psychological and...

 similar to MDMA, but with substantially higher neurotoxicity

Neurotoxicity

Neurotoxicity occurs when the exposure to natural or artificial toxic substances, which are called neurotoxins, alters the normal activity of the nervous system in such a way as to cause damage to nervous tissue. This can eventually disrupt or even kill neurons, key cells that transmit and process...

, thought to be due to the unrestrained release of both serotonin

Serotonin

Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system of animals including humans...

 and dopamine

Dopamine

Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...

 as with MDMA itself. It is used as a neurotoxin

Neurotoxin

A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels. Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...

 by neurobiologists to selectively kill serotonergic

Serotonergic

Serotonergic or serotoninergic means "related to the neurotransmitter serotonin". A synapse is serotonergic if it uses serotonin as its neurotransmitter...

 neuron

Neuron

A neuron is an electrically excitable cell that processes and transmits information by electrical and chemical signaling. Chemical signaling occurs via synapses, specialized connections with other cells. Neurons connect to each other to form networks. Neurons are the core components of the nervous...

s for research purposes, in the same way that 6-hydroxydopamine is used to kill dopaminergic

Dopaminergic

Dopaminergic means related to the neurotransmitter dopamine. For example, certain proteins such as the dopamine transporter , vesicular monoamine transporter 2 , and dopamine receptors can be classified as dopaminergic, and neurons which synthesize or contain dopamine and synapses with dopamine...

 neurons.

This compound does have a history of being used daily as an antidepressant in humans with no mentionable side effects that are particularly worrysome. However, the effects of the compound on experimental animals appear less encouraging.

See also

• Substituted amphetamine
  Substituted amphetamine
  Substituted amphetamines are a chemical class of stimulants, entactogens, hallucinogens, and other drugs. They feature a phenethylamine core with a methyl group attached to the alpha carbon resulting in amphetamine, along with additional substitutions...
  
  s
• 4-Fluoroamphetamine (4-FA)
• 5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine
  5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine
  5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine is a neurotoxin used to selectively kill serotonergic neurons in scientific research, in the same way that 6-hydroxydopamine is used to kill dopaminergic cells.- See also :* 6-Hydroxydopamine...
  
   (5,7-DHT)
• para-Bromoamphetamine
  Para-Bromoamphetamine
  para-Bromoamphetamine , also known as 4-bromoamphetamine , is an amphetamine derivative which acts as a serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine releasing agent and produces stimulant effects...
  
   (PBA)
• para-Chlorophenylalanine
  Fenclonine
  Fenclonine, also known as para-chlorophenylalanine , is a synthetic amino acid which acts as a selective and irreversible inhibitor of tryptophan hydroxylase, which is a rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of serotonin. Fenclonine consequently depletes serotonin in the body and reduces its...
  
   (PCPA)
• para-Iodoamphetamine
  Para-Iodoamphetamine
  para-Iodoamphetamine , also known as 4-iodoamphetamine , is a research chemical of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes.It acts as a selective serotonin releasing agent and is also a MAOI....
  
  (PIA)