Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists as a potential drug for schizophrenia.
Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlu receptors), with their unique signaling systems and pharmacological characteristics, have emerged as a new topic in excitatory amino acid research. Among them, the unique distribution of group II mGlu receptors, such as mGlu(2) and mGlu(3) receptors, and the involvement of these receptors in the regulation of neurotransmission are particularly interesting. Recently, potent agonists for mGlu(2/3) receptor have been synthesized, and their pharmacological roles have been intensively investigated using animal models. mGlu(2/3) receptors clearly have crucial roles in the central nervous system, and accumulating evidence in both rodents and human studies has suggested that agonists for mGlu(2/3) receptors may be beneficial for the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Possible neuronal circuits through which mGlu(2/3) receptor agonists exert their pharmacological effects have also been investigated.
Chaki
Shigeyuki
S
Discovery Pharmacology, Molecular Function and Pharmacology Laboratories, Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 1-403 Yoshino-cho, Kita-ku, Saitama, Saitama 331-9530, Japan. s.chaki@po.rd.taisho.co.jp
D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000819:agonists* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; C108822:metabotropic glutamate receptor 2; C102718:metabotropic glutamate receptor 3