cognition;
ion channels;
memory nicotine;
schizophrenia;
D O I:
10.1073/pnas.0701321104
中图分类号:
O [数理科学和化学];
P [天文学、地球科学];
Q [生物科学];
N [自然科学总论];
学科分类号:
07 ;
0710 ;
09 ;
摘要:
Activation of brain alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (alpha 7 nAChRs) has broad therapeutic potential in CNS diseases related to cognitive dysfunction, including Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. In contrast to direct agonist activation, positive allosteric modulation of alpha 7 nAChRs would deliver the clinically validated benefits of allosterism to these indications. We have generated a selective a7 nAChR-positive allosteric modulator (PAM) from a library of GABAA receptor PAMs. Compound 6 (N-(4-chlorophenyl)-alpha-[[(4-chlorophenyl)aminolmethylenel-3-methyl-5-isoxazoleacet-amide) evokes robust positive modulation of agonist-induced currents at alpha 7 nAChRs, while preserving the rapid native characteristics of desensitization, and has little to no efficacy at other ligand-gated ion channels. In rodent models, it corrects sensory-gating deficits and improves working memory, effects consistent with cognitive enhancement. Compound 6 represents a chemotype for allosteric activation of alpha 7 nAChRs, with therapeutic potential in CNS diseases with cognitive dysfunction.