Overview:
α-Methyl-tryptamine, also known as alpha-methyltryptamine, α-MT, AMT or IT-290, is a synthetic drug of the tryptamine family.
First developed as an antidepressant, in the 1960s it was produced commercially for this purpose in the Soviet Union under the trade name "Indopan" in 5mg and 10mg pills.
Like many other tryptamines, at sufficient dosages it is a psychedelic hallucinogen. Its effects may take 2-3 hours to onset, and can last for 18 to 24 hours. It also acts as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor and a stimulant. On 4 April 2003, an emergency United States DEA order resulted in α-MT being placed, along with 5-MeO-DIPT, on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
AMT is chemically related to serotonin, an important neurotransmitter. It acts by mimicking the effects of serotonin at the 5-HT2 receptor and by interfering with neurotransmitter reuptake and degradation mechanisms. α-MT has a stereocenter, and S-(+)-α-MT is the more active stereoisomer.
