BRL-15572
Encyclopedia
BRL-15,572 is a drug
which acts as a selective
antagonist for the serotonin
receptor
subtype 5-HT1D
, with around 60x selectivity over other related receptors. The 5-HT1D receptor has a very similar pharmacology to the closely related 5-HT1B receptor, and most older ligands for these receptors bind to both subtypes with approximately equal affinity, so development of compounds such as BRL-15572 which are able to selectively block the 5-HT1D subtype while leaving 5-HT1B unaffected, have been a significant advance which has helped scientists in researching the function of these serotonin receptor subtypes. One function of the 5-HT1D receptor this research has revealed is its role in modulating release of the neurotransmitter
glutamate in the brain, as well as functions in regulation of cerebral blood pressure which are important in the pathogenesis of migraine
headaches.
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
which acts as a selective
Binding selectivity
Binding selectivity refers to the differing affinities with which different ligands bind to a substrate forming a complex. A selectivity coefficient is the equilibrium constant for the reaction of displacement by one ligand of another ligand in a complex with the substrate...
antagonist for the serotonin
Serotonin
Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system of animals including humans...
receptor
Receptor (biochemistry)
In biochemistry, a receptor is a molecule found on the surface of a cell, which receives specific chemical signals from neighbouring cells or the wider environment within an organism...
subtype 5-HT1D
5-HT1D receptor
5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1D, also known as HTR1D, is a 5-HT receptor, but also denotes the human gene encoding it. 5-HT1D acts on the central nervous system, and affects locomotion and anxiety...
, with around 60x selectivity over other related receptors. The 5-HT1D receptor has a very similar pharmacology to the closely related 5-HT1B receptor, and most older ligands for these receptors bind to both subtypes with approximately equal affinity, so development of compounds such as BRL-15572 which are able to selectively block the 5-HT1D subtype while leaving 5-HT1B unaffected, have been a significant advance which has helped scientists in researching the function of these serotonin receptor subtypes. One function of the 5-HT1D receptor this research has revealed is its role in modulating release of the neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron to a target cell across a synapse. Neurotransmitters are packaged into synaptic vesicles clustered beneath the membrane on the presynaptic side of a synapse, and are released into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to...
glutamate in the brain, as well as functions in regulation of cerebral blood pressure which are important in the pathogenesis of migraine
Migraine
Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by moderate to severe headaches, and nausea...
headaches.