Memantine: a therapeutic drug for Alzheimer's disease and the comparison with MK-801

Nihon yakurigaku zasshi. Folia pharmacologica Japonica
Takeshi Kato

Abstract

Memantine is agreed officially as a therapeutic drug for moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease (AD) in EU and USA. Memantine is a similar uncompetitive NMDA-receptor antagonist to MK-801 and phencyclidine (PCP), and it prevents nerve cell death induced by the ischemia which induces as excessive release of glutamate. These medicines act on an ion channel binding site similar to the magnesium ion binding site. However, MK-801 and PCP cause schizophrenic symptoms, so they are not being used as a therapeutic drug for AD. Memantine does not have those toxicities and does not stimulate acetylcholine release in the cerebral cortex. Although the mechanism of the difference from memantine and MK-801 has not been made clear yet, it seems that memantine is combined and released with the ion channel depending on electric potential in the same way as the magnesium ion. Basic and clinical research will clarify the control mechanism of memantine.

References

Dec 6, 1991·Science·J W OlneyM A Sesma
Dec 24, 2002·International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry·Mark John SampsonSundeep Sembi
Apr 4, 2003·The New England Journal of Medicine·Barry ReisbergUNKNOWN Memantine Study Group
Apr 25, 2003·Drugs & Aging·Blair Jarvis, David P Figgitt
Sep 16, 2003·International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry·Wojciech Danysz, Chris G Parsons

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