Nanri M, Kasahara N, Yamamoto J, Miyake H, Watanabe H
Department of Pharmacology, Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokushima, Japan.
Jpn J Pharmacol. 1998 Nov;78(3):385-9. doi: 10.1254/jjp.78.385.
Effects of GTS-21 [3-(2,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)-anabaseine dihydrochloride], a selective nicotinic agonist, on locomotor activity and dopamine turnover were examined and compared to those of nicotine to test if GTS-21 exhibits side effects similar to those of nicotine. GTS-21 had no effect on locomotor activity in mice or dopamine turnover in rats. In contrast, nicotine produced a biphasic effect on locomotor activity. It also enhanced dopamine turnover rates in the striatum and cerebral cortex, suggesting the involvement of dopaminergic systems in the nicotine-induced changes in locomotor activity. GTS-21 exhibits fewer adverse effects, suggesting that it has therapeutic potential for cognitive disorders related to central cholinergic dysfunction.
