Influence of tetrahydro-9-aminoacridine on excitatory amino acid release.

Alzheimer's disease may be associated with an early and clinically relevant degeneration of some cortical excitatory amino acid-releasing neurons. Tetrahydro-9-aminoacridine (tacrine) might be an effective drug for the treatment of the disease. Various pharmacological paradigms (in rats) related to amino acid release are shown here to be modified both in vivo and in vitro by the drug. These effects are only observed with high concentrations, so it is unlikely that tacrine acts through amino acid release in humans.