2005 - Memantine pharmacology elucidated in mice
Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsEdge Corporation :
2005 AUG 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- The pharmacology of the novel antidepressant memantine has been elucidated in a murine model.
"Memantine (1-amino-3,5-dimethyl-adamantane) is the only clinically used NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) glutamate receptor antagonist," pharmacologists in Poland explained.
T. Kos and colleagues at the Polish Academy of Sciences conducted a study "to compare the dose-response for memantine's predictive therapeutic and side effects in a variety of tests in C57BL/6J/Han mice, and to elucidate if tolerance may develop to them."
"Memantine produced a dose-dependent (2.5-15 mg/kg) antidepressant-like effect in the tail-suspension test (TST); this anti-immobility effect of 15 mg/kg of memantine appeared to persist with its sub-chronic administration (3 days, twice daily)," the scientists wrote in the journal Behavioural Pharmacology. "Treatment with the same doses of memantine produced no effects on locomotor activity, and sub-chronic treatment with 15 mg/kg did not affect locomotor activity."
"Exploratory activity was assessed in the open field. Given acutely 5 min before the test, memantine reduced rearing (1.875-30 mg/kg), ambulation (7.5 and 30 mg/kg) and grooming (30 mg/kg)," test results revealed. "These effects were more pronounced 35 min after its administration."
"As measured in three different tests, ataxia and stereotypy appeared only at the single dose of 30 mg/kg 5 and 35 min after administration," according to the report. "In mice treated sub-chronically with 30 mg/kg, the dose of 30 mg/kg increased ambulation, and continued to decrease rearing and grooming, but no signs of ataxia and stereotypy were detected."
"The present data indicate that different doses of memantine are required for the purportedly therapeutic and side effects, and that tolerance may develop to the ataxic, but not anti-immobility actions," the researchers concluded.
Kos and coauthors published their study in Behavioural Pharmacology (A comparison of the predictive therapeutic and undesired side-effects of the NMDA receptor antagonist, memantine, in mice. Behav Pharmacol, 2005;16(3):155-161).
For additional information, contact R. Popik, Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Pharmacology, 12 Smetna St., PL-31343 Krakow, Poland.
Publisher contact information for the journal Behavioural Pharmacology is: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 530 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106-3621, USA.
Keywords: Krakow, Poland, Adverse Drug Effect, Adverse Drug Event, Adverse Drug Reaction, Antidepressants, Depression, Glutamate Receptor, Memantine, Mental Health, Neurology, Neuroscience, NMDA Receptor, Pharmaceutical Research, Pharmacology, Therapy, Treatment.
This article was prepared by Pain & Central Nervous System Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2005, Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsRx.com.
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