Psychology Wiki
(New page: {{BioPsy}} {{drugbox | | IUPAC_name = 6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-Tetrazolo(1,5-a)azepine | image = PTZ.png | CAS_number = 54-95-5 | ATC_prefix = R07 | ATC_suffix = AB03 | PubChem = 5917 | Drug...)
 
No edit summary
Line 46: Line 46:
 
==Alternatives==
 
==Alternatives==
 
In 1939, Metrazol (also known as Cardiazol) was replaced by [[electroconvulsive therapy]] as the preferred method for inducing seizures in England's mental hospitals.
 
In 1939, Metrazol (also known as Cardiazol) was replaced by [[electroconvulsive therapy]] as the preferred method for inducing seizures in England's mental hospitals.
  +
  +
==See also==
  +
* [[Analeptic drugs]]
   
 
==References==
 
==References==
Line 52: Line 55:
 
{{Respiratory stimulants}}
 
{{Respiratory stimulants}}
   
[[Category:Stimulants]]
+
[[Category:CNS stimulating drugs]]
 
[[Category:GABA antagonists]]
 
[[Category:GABA antagonists]]
 
[[Category:Withdrawn drugs]]
 
[[Category:Withdrawn drugs]]

Revision as of 00:45, 29 November 2008

Assessment | Biopsychology | Comparative | Cognitive | Developmental | Language | Individual differences | Personality | Philosophy | Social |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |

Biological: Behavioural genetics · Evolutionary psychology · Neuroanatomy · Neurochemistry · Neuroendocrinology · Neuroscience · Psychoneuroimmunology · Physiological Psychology · Psychopharmacology (Index, Outline)


Pentylenetetrazol chemical structure
Pentylenetetrazol

6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-Tetrazolo(1,5-a)azepine
IUPAC name
CAS number
54-95-5
ATC code

R07AB03

PubChem
5917
DrugBank
[1]
Chemical formula {{{chemical_formula}}}
Molecular weight 138.171
Bioavailability
Metabolism
Elimination half-life
Excretion
Pregnancy category
Legal status
Routes of administration


Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) is the International Nonproprietary Name of Metrazol and also known as pentetrazol or pentamethylenetetrazol. It is a drug used as a circulatory and respiratory stimulant (another commercial name is Cardiazol). Larger doses cause convulsions, thus it has been used in shock therapy, as discovered by the Hungarian-American neurologist and psychiatrist Ladislas J. Meduna in 1934. It was never considered to be effective, and side-effects such as seizures are difficult to avoid. Its approval by FDA was revoked in 1982.[1]

Mechanism

It is considered a GABA antagonist.[2]

The mechanism of the epileptogenic action of PTZ at the cellular neuronal level is still unclear.

Electrophysiological studies have shown it acts at cell membrane level decreasing the recovery time between action potentials by increasing potassium permeability of the axon.

Other studies have implicated an increase in membrane currents of several other ions, such as sodium and calcium, leading to an overall increase in excitability of the neuron membrane.

Uses

Pentylenetetrazole has been used experimentally to study seizure phenomenon and to identify pharmaceuticals that may control seizure susceptibility. PTZ is also a prototypical anxiogenic drug and, has been extensively utilized in animal models of anxiety. PTZ produces a reliable discriminative stimulus which is largely mediated by the GABAA receptor. Several classes of compounds can modulate the PTZ discriminative stimulus including 5-HT1A, 5-HT3, NMDA, glycine, and L-type calcium channel ligands.[3]

Recently, it has been shown that pentetrazol at non-epileptic doses, along with two other compounds (Picrotoxin and bilobalide) can restore the cognitive function (learning and memory) of a mouse model of Down syndrome by inhibiting GABAA receptor without inducing seizures.[4] These results caused renewed interest in pentetrazol as a potential drug candidate for Down syndrome, although clinical trials are probably still a couple of years away.[1].

The finding of pentetrazol's effectiveness in treating Down Syndrome has lead to it being explored as a means of correcting other learning deficiencies. Specifically, hamsters denied their natural circadian rhythm (though not denied sleep) had their memory restored to near-normal levels when treated with pentetrazol[5].

Alternatives

In 1939, Metrazol (also known as Cardiazol) was replaced by electroconvulsive therapy as the preferred method for inducing seizures in England's mental hospitals.

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 includeonly>JR Minkel. "Drug May Counteract Down Syndrome", Scientific American, February 25, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
  2. Entry for Pentylenetetrazole in the MeSH database
  3. Jung M, Lal H, Gatch M (2002). The discriminative stimulus effects of pentylenetetrazol as a model of anxiety: recent developments. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 26 (4): 429–39.
  4. Fernandez F, Morishita W, Zuniga E, Nguyen J, Blank M, Malenka R, Garner C (2007). Pharmacotherapy for cognitive impairment in a mouse model of Down syndrome. Nat Neurosci.
  5. Ruby et al.; Hippocampal-dependent learning requires a functional circadian system; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2008, vol. 105, no. 40,15593-15598
  1. REDIRECT Template:Other respiratory system products


This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).