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 The Lycaeum Forums » Psychedelics & Non Visionary Related » Visionary Chemicals (Moderator: 2a)Topic:
 endogenous dmt question.

[mirrorman]

you see it referenced everywhere that endogenous dmt is produced by the pineal gland and released en masse at birth and death.  i've read strassman's dmt spirit molecule and these points are raised as speculation.  anyone aware of any studies that show this info 2b true.  unless i'm mistaken strassman will be doing some studies to explore endogenous dmt but i'm wondering if these claims are erroniously based on spirit molecule.

[Noman]

AFAIK, DMT is produced endogenously, but the jury's still out as to whether it's produced in the pineal or anywhere near the brain.

[2a]

there's this:

The Hallucinogen N,N-Dimethyllryptamine (DMT) Is an Endogenous Sigma-1 Receptor Regulator.
Science; 2/13/2009, Vol. 323 Issue 5916, p934-937, 4p

Abstract:
    The sigma-1 receptor is widely distributed in the central nervous system and periphery. Originally mischaracterized as an opioid receptor, the sigma-1 receptor binds a vast number of synthetic compounds but does not bind opioid peptides; it is currently considered an orphan receptor. The sigma-1 receptor pharmacophore includes an alkylamine core, also found in the endogenous compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). DMT acts as a hallucinogen, but its receptor target has been unclear. DMT bound to sigma-1 receptors and inhibited voltage-gated sodium ion (Na+) channels in both native cardiac myocytes and heterologous cells that express sigma-1 receptors. DMT induced hypermobility in wild-type mice but not in sigma-1 receptor knockout mice. These biochemical, physiological, and behavioral experiments indicate that DMT is an endogenous agonist for the sigma-1 receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]


but the full text isn't available and they didn't give any specifics about its endogenous nature in the abstract.
and then there's this:

Potentially hallucinogenic 5‐hydroxytryptamine receptor ligands bufotenine and dimethyltryptamine in blood and tissues.
Scandinavian Journal of Clinical & Laboratory Investigation; May2005, Vol. 65 Issue 3, p189-199, 11p

Abstract:
    Bufotenine and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) are hallucinogenic dimethylated indolethylamines (DMIAs) formed from serotonin and tryptamine by the enzyme indolethylamine N-methyltransferase (INMT) ubiquitously present in non-neural tissues. In mammals, endogenous bufotenine and DMT have been identified only in human urine. The DMIAs bind effectively to 5HT receptors and their administration causes a variety of autonomic effects, which may reflect their actual physiological function. Endogenous levels of bufotenine and DMT in blood and a number of animal and human tissues were determined using highly sensitive and specific quantitative mass spectrometric techniques. A new finding was the detection of large amounts of bufotenine in stools, which may be an indication of its role in intestinal function. It is suggested that fecal and urinary bufotenine originate from epithelial cells of the intestine and the kidney, respectively, although the possibility of their synthesis by intestinal bacteria cannot be excluded. Only small amounts of the DMIAs were found in somatic or neural tissues and none in blood. This can be explained by rapid catabolism of the DMIAs by mitochondrial monoamino-oxidase or by the fact that the dimethylated products of serotonin and tryptamine are not formed in significant amounts in most mammalian tissues despite the widespread presence of INMT in tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
full text PDF attached below.

and also this:
Screening for endogenous substrates reveals that CYP2D6 is a 5-methoxyindolethylamine O-demethylase
Pharmacogenetics; Jun2003, Vol. 13 Issue 6, p307-319, 13p

Abstract: (key information in italics)
    The objective of this investigation was to screen for potential endogenous substrates for CYP2D6. Using recombinant CYP2D6, together with hepatic microsomes from CYP2D6-transgenic mice, human liver microsomes, and a specific anti-CYP2D6 monoclonal antibody, it was ascertained that CYP2D6 does not significantly metabolize the endogenous phenylethylamines 2-phenylethylamine, octopamine, synephrine, 3-methoxy-p-tyramine, 4-methoxy-m-tyramine, metanephrine, and normetanephrine, nor the indolethylamines tryptamine, serotonin, 6-methoxytryptamine, and melatonin, nor the β-carbolines harman, norharman and tryptoline. However, the indolethylamines 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MDMT) and pinoline (6-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline) showed relatively high affinity for CYP2D6 in a spectral binding assay (K_s 28 ± 5, and 0.5 ± 0.3 μm (mean ± SEM), respectively) and were O-demethylated only by CYP2D6 in a panel of 15 recombinant common human P450s. Pinoline and 5-MDMT O-demethylase activities were 35- and 11-fold greater in liver microsomes from CYP2D6-humanized mice, respectively, than those in liver microsomes from control mice. Moreover, the increased activities were completely inhibited by an anti-CYP2D6 monoclonal antibody. Kinetic analysis with recombinant CYP2D6 gave K_m and k_cat values for 5-MDMT and pinoline O-demethylations of 12 ± 1 μm and 65 ± 1 min-1 and 1.8 ± 0.3 μm and 26 ± 1 min-1, respectively. These two substrates can be added to 5-methoxytryptamine, which we have recently reported to be an endogenous CYP2D6 substrate. CYP2D6 is therefore a relatively highly specific, high-affinity, high-capacity 5-methoxyindolethylamine O-demethylase. Polymorphic cytochrome CYP2D6 may therefore exert an influence on mood and behavior by the O-demethylation of these 5-methoxyindolethylamines found in the brain and pineal gland. These processes may also impact on mental and neurological health. The findings may open new vistas for the determination of CYP2D6 phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

no full text for this one either, but again in the abstract they make reference to endogenous activity in the brain and specifically the pineal gland.