Aniracetam
Encyclopedia
Aniracetam is an ampakine
and nootropic
of the racetam
chemical class purported to be considerably more potent than piracetam
. It is lipid-soluble and has possible cognition-enhancing effects. It has been tested in animals extensively, Alzheimer's
patients, and temporarily-impaired healthy subjects. It has shown potential as an anxiolytic
in three clinical animal models. It is sold in Europe
as a prescription drug
.
efficacy in a mouse model, haloperidol
, mecamylamine
, and ketanserin
were applied to determine the pathways aniracetam depends on to exert its anti-anxiety effects. 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, nACh, and 5-HT2A receptor
s.
Aniracetam has also been shown to selectively modulate the AMPA receptor
and was used as the parent compound to derive a class of drugs known as the ampakine
s that are being investigated as nootropics and neuroprotective drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease
and other neurodegenerative conditions.1
Despite the fat solubility of aniracetam, its half-life is much shorter than that of common racetam
analogs such as piracetam
.
Commonly used doses are 750-3,000 mg daily usually taken in 2-3 doses.
Side effects can include nausea and headache.
Ampakine
Ampakines are a class of compounds known to enhance attention span and alertness, and facilitate learning and memory. The ampakines take their name from the glutamatergic AMPA receptor with which they strongly interact...
and nootropic
Nootropic
Nootropics , also referred to as smart drugs, brain steroids, memory enhancers, cognitive enhancers, and intelligence enhancers, are drugs, supplements, nutraceuticals, and functional foods that improve mental functions such as cognition, memory, intelligence, motivation, attention, and concentration...
of the racetam
Racetam
Racetams are a class of nootropic drugs that share a pyrrolidone nucleus.-Mechanism:There is no generally accepted mechanism for racetams. They generally show no affinity for the most important receptors, although modulation of most important central neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine and...
chemical class purported to be considerably more potent than piracetam
Piracetam
Piracetam is a nootropic drug. Piracetam's chemical name is 2-oxo-1-pyrrolidine acetamide; it shares the same 2-oxo-pyrrolidone base structure with 2-oxo-pyrrolidine carboxylic acid . Piracetam is a cyclic derivative of GABA. It is one of the group of racetams...
. It is lipid-soluble and has possible cognition-enhancing effects. It has been tested in animals extensively, Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
patients, and temporarily-impaired healthy subjects. It has shown potential as an anxiolytic
Anxiolytic
An anxiolytic is a drug used for the treatment of anxiety, and its related psychological and physical symptoms...
in three clinical animal models. It is sold in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as a prescription drug
Prescription drug
A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
.
Pharmacology
After a confirmed test of the anxiolyticAnxiolytic
An anxiolytic is a drug used for the treatment of anxiety, and its related psychological and physical symptoms...
efficacy in a mouse model, haloperidol
Haloperidol
Haloperidol is a typical antipsychotic. It is in the butyrophenone class of antipsychotic medications and has pharmacological effects similar to the phenothiazines....
, mecamylamine
Mecamylamine
Mecamylamine is a nonselective and noncompetitive antagonist of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors that was introduced in the 1950s as an antihypertensive agent.- Uses :...
, and ketanserin
Ketanserin
Ketanserin is a drug with affinity for multiple G protein-coupled receptors . Initially it was believed to be a highly selective antagonist for serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, however this is not true. Ketanserin only has moderate selectivity for 5-HT2A receptors over 5-HT2C receptors...
were applied to determine the pathways aniracetam depends on to exert its anti-anxiety effects. 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, nACh, and 5-HT2A receptor
5-HT2A receptor
The mammalian 5-HT2A receptor is a subtype of the 5-HT2 receptor that belongs to the serotonin receptor family and is a G protein-coupled receptor . This is the main excitatory receptor subtype among the GPCRs for serotonin , although 5-HT2A may also have an inhibitory effect on certain areas such...
s.
Aniracetam has also been shown to selectively modulate the AMPA receptor
AMPA receptor
The α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor is a non-NMDA-type ionotropic transmembrane receptor for glutamate that mediates fast synaptic transmission in the central nervous system . Its name is derived from its ability to be activated by the artificial glutamate analog AMPA...
and was used as the parent compound to derive a class of drugs known as the ampakine
Ampakine
Ampakines are a class of compounds known to enhance attention span and alertness, and facilitate learning and memory. The ampakines take their name from the glutamatergic AMPA receptor with which they strongly interact...
s that are being investigated as nootropics and neuroprotective drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
and other neurodegenerative conditions.1
Despite the fat solubility of aniracetam, its half-life is much shorter than that of common racetam
Racetam
Racetams are a class of nootropic drugs that share a pyrrolidone nucleus.-Mechanism:There is no generally accepted mechanism for racetams. They generally show no affinity for the most important receptors, although modulation of most important central neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine and...
analogs such as piracetam
Piracetam
Piracetam is a nootropic drug. Piracetam's chemical name is 2-oxo-1-pyrrolidine acetamide; it shares the same 2-oxo-pyrrolidone base structure with 2-oxo-pyrrolidine carboxylic acid . Piracetam is a cyclic derivative of GABA. It is one of the group of racetams...
.
Commonly used doses are 750-3,000 mg daily usually taken in 2-3 doses.
Side effects can include nausea and headache.