Alpha-Ethyltryptamine

α-ethyltryptamine (αET, AET, "Monase"), also known as etryptamine, is a psychedelic, stimulant and entactogen of the tryptamine chemical class.

History
Originally believed to exert its effects predominantly via monoamine oxidase inhibition, alpha-ethyltryptamine was developed as an antidepressant by Upjohn chemical company in the United States under the name "Monase" but was withdrawn from potential commercial use due to an unacceptable incidence of agranulocytosis.

αET gained limited recreational popularity as a designer drug in the 1980s. Subsequently, in the USA it was added to the Schedule I list of illegal substances in 1993.

Pharmacology
αET is structurally and pharmacologically related to α-methyltryptamine (αMT), but its effects are slightly different. In contrast to αMT, αET is less stimulating and hallucinogenic, its effects resembling more those of entactogens like MDMA ("Ecstasy").

Similarly to MDMA, αET has been demonstrated to be a releasing agent of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine (with serotonin being the primary neurotransmitter affected); in addition, it acts as a non-selective serotonin receptor agonist. Scientific research has shown that alpha-ethyltryptamine is a serotonergic neurotoxin.