Smith D F
Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 1984;8(3):327-50.
Stereoisomers have been used for more than a century to study the role of three-dimensional (spatial) features in biological processes. Configuration and conformation are spatial features of primary interest for effects of drugs. The role of configuration has been studied mainly by comparing effects of optical isomers (enantiomers), whereas the role of conformation has been investigated primarily using geometrical isomers and semi-rigid molecules. Spatial features have been shown to play a role in many effects of stereoisomers on noradrenergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic, cholinergic, opioid and GABAergic mechanisms. Further information on psychopharmacological effects of stereoisomers may lead to a better understanding of mental disorders and to improvements in drugs used to treat them.
立体异构体已被用于研究三维（空间）特征在生物过程中的作用长达一个多世纪。构型和构象是药物效应主要关注的空间特征。构型的作用主要通过比较光学异构体（对映体）的效应来研究，而构象的作用主要通过几何异构体和半刚性分子来研究。空间特征已被证明在立体异构体对去甲肾上腺素能、多巴胺能、5-羟色胺能、胆碱能、阿片样物质和γ-氨基丁酸能机制的许多效应中发挥作用。关于立体异构体精神药理效应的更多信息可能会更好地理解精神障碍，并改进用于治疗这些疾病的药物。
