Monday, August 25, 2008

Pharmacology

After a confirmed test of the anxiolytic efficacy in a mouse model, receptor antagonists haloperidol, mecamylamine, and ketanserin were applied. Haloperidol completely reversed the anxiolytic effects, and mecamylamine and ketanserin nearly completely reversed the effects. This shows that aniracetam's anxiolytic mechanism is facilitated by D2/D3 dopamine, nicotinic acetylcholine, and 5-HT2A receptors.

Aniracetam has also been shown to selectively modulate the AMPA glutamate receptor and was used as the parent compound to derive a class of drugs known as the ampakines which are being investigated as nootropics and neuroprotective drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Despite the fat solubility of aniracetam its half-life is much shorter than common racetam analogs such as Piracetam.

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