Posted by temoigneur on January 24, 2004, at 1:07:49
Clinical Psychiatry News, Oct 2003 v31 i10 p18(1)
Glutamate analogue may help treat anxiety: LY354740 similar to glutamate. Adult Psychiatry Kerri Wachter.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2003 International Medical News GroupTORONTO -- Preliminary studies show that a glutamate analogue called LY354740 may be effective for treating anxiety, Dr. K. Ranga Rama Krishnan reported at the annual conference of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.
Studies suggest that patients with anxiety have excessive glutamate transmission, and that for some reason, the metabotropic glutamate 2/3 (m[Glu.sub.2] and m[Glu.sub.3]) receptor agonist fails to become active and moderate that transmission, said Dr. Krishnan, chairman of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University, Durham, N.C., and an Eli Lilly & Co. consultant.
Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter--the most widely present neuro-transmitter in the brain. It is involved in most CNS processes. Glutamate stimulates fast synaptic transmission, which is modulated by mGlu receptors. Currently, eight types of these receptors have been identified, primarily in the limbic system, which plays a role in the somatic expression of fear, although m[Glu.sub.2] and m[Glu.sub.3] are the most interesting in terms of treating anxiety.
Both of these two receptors help to play a role in keeping the excitatory and inhibitory systems in balance within the brain.
LY354740 is chemically similar to glutamate and acts as a potent and selective m[Glu.sub.2,3] receptor agonist in both rats and humans. Research shows that this compound is present in many of the same regions of the brain as glutamate, and that it has several attractive qualities as a potential drug. It does not cause drowsiness or produce neuromuscular effects, and it does not interact with other drugs.
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thread:304891
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