Another abstract, recently published.
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TITLE:
Aminoadamantanes as NMDA receptor antagonists and antiparkinsonian agents--preclinical studies.
AUTHOR:
Danysz W; Parsons CG; Kornhuber J; Schmidt WJ; Quack G
AUTHOR
AFFILIATION:
Dept of Pharmacology, Merz + Co. Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
SOURCE:
Neurosci Biobehav Rev 1997 Jul;21(4):455-68
NLM CIT. ID:
97339043
ABSTRACT:
Aminoadamantanes such as 1-aminoadamantane (amantadine) and 1-amino-3,5-dimethyladamantane (memantine) are N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists which show antiparkinsonian-like activity in animal models and in Parkinson's patients. The issue of whether NMDA antagonism plays a role in the symptomatological antiparkinsonian
activity of amantadine and memantine is addressed by comparing: behaviourally effective doses, serum/brain levels, and their potency as NMDA receptor antagonists. In the case of memantine, blockade of NMDA receptors is probably the only mechanism responsible for antiparkinsonian activity, whereas for amantadine the situation is clearly far more complex. There are a number of differences between memantine and amantadine both in vitro and in vivo, and although NMDA receptor antagonism certainly participates in the antiparkinsonian activity of amantadine, other effects, some of
which are elusive, also play a role. Moreover, it has been suggested that the pathomechanism of Parkinson's disease involves excitotoxic processes and that treatment with NMDA receptor antagonists might also slow the progression of neurodegeneration. If this claim is true, such an effect could be achieved with amantadine and memantine which show
neuroprotective activity in animals at therapeutically relevant doses. |
