NM-2-AI, or NM2AI, also known as N-methyl-2-aminoindane, is a stimulant of the 2-aminoindane family that has been sold online as a designer drug. It is a rigid analogue of methamphetamine. NM-2-AI acts as a selective norepinephrine releasing agent, but also has affinity for several monoamine receptors.
NM-2-AI acts as a highly selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and releasing agent in vitro and does not release serotonin or dopamine even at very high concentrations (100üM).
NM-2AI has high affinity (2.4 üM ) as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor but also has affinity as a TAAR1 receptor agonist (3.3 üM EC<sub>50</sub>), an Alpha-2A adrenergic receptor agonist (0.49 üM K<sub>i</sub>) and as a binding agent at the 5-HT1A (3.6 üM K<sub>i</sub>) and 5-HT2A (5.4 üM K<sub>i</sub>) receptors.
Scientists performed a study on NM-2-AI metabolism in silico and in vivo, in order to identify the main metabolites to be screened in the different biological samples. They performed the in silico metabolism prediction of NM-2-AI using MetaSiteTM software and subsequently verified the presence of metabolites in the blood, urine and hair of mice after NM-2-AI administration. LC-HRMS analysis identified seven main metabolites in the urine. They were identified, by their accurate masses and fragmentation patterns, as 2-aminoindane (2AI), two hydroxy-2-AI and four hydroxy-NM-2-AI; one of the hydroxy-NM-2-AI and one of the hydroxy-2-AI underwent also to conjugation. NM-2-AI and 2-AI were also detected by LC-HRMS in the hair and blood