Aserotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine releasing agent (SNDRA), also known as atriple releasing agent (TRA), is a type ofdrug which induces therelease ofserotonin,norepinephrine/epinephrine, anddopamine in thebrain and body. SNDRAs may produceeuphoriant,decongestant,aphrodisiacal,anorectic,nootropic,entactogenic, and/orpsychostimulant effects. Drugs of this class tend to have highabuse liability, especially when taken in supratherapeutic quantities.
A closely related type of drug is aserotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (SNDRI).
Examples of SNDRAs include specificamphetamines such asMDMA,MDA,4-methylamphetamine,methamphetamine (in high doses), certainsubstituted benzofurans such as5-APB and6-APB,naphthylisopropylamine;cathinones such asmephedrone andmethylone;tryptamines such asαMT andαET; along with agents of otherchemical classes such as4,4'-DMAR, and5-IAI.[1] αET and αMT are of special notability among SNDRAs in that those tryptamines were once used aspharmaceutical drugs, specifically asantidepressants, but were withdrawn shortly after introduction in the 1960s due to problems withtoxicity andrecreational use.[2][3][4] Such tryptamines were originally thought to act asmonoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) before the signature monoamine-releasing actions were elucidated.[3][4] Many years after being withdrawn, αET was also determined to produceserotonergic neurotoxicity, similarly to MDMA and various other SNDRAs; the same is very likely true for αMT as well, although it has not specifically been assessed.[5]
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