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Deprenyl (Selegiline): past, present and
future.
Knoll J.
Department of Pharmacology,
Semmelweis University of Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
Neurobiology (Bp) 2000;8(2):179-99
ABSTRACT
Deprenyl (Selegiline), the N-propargyl analogue of (-)methamphetamine,
is the only drug in clinical case which, by enhancing the impulse
propagation mediated release of noradrenaline and dopamine in the brain (catecholaminergic
activity enhancer, CAE, effect), keeps in small doses without side-effects
the catecholaminergic brain system on a higher activity level. (-)Deprenyl
stimulates the catecholaminergic neurons selectively in the brain because,
in contrast to PEA and the amphetamines which induce the continuous release
of noradrenaline and dopamine from their intraneuronal stores, (-)deprenyl
is devoid of this property. It is due to the CAE effect that a) the
maintenance of rats on (-)deprenyl during the postdevelopmental phase of
their life slows the age-related decline of sexual and learning performances
and prolongs life significantly; b) patients with early, untreated
Parkinson's disease maintained on (-)deprenyl need levodopa significantly
later than their placebo-treated peers, and when on levodopa plus (-)deprenyl,
they live significantly longer than patients on levodopa alone; and c) in
patients with moderately severe impairment from Alzheimer's disease,
treatment with (-)deprenyl slows the progression of the disease. It is
reasonable to expect that a prophylactic low dose administration of a safe
catecholaminergic activity enhancer substance during the postdevelopmental
phase of life will slow the age-related decline of behavioral performances,
delay natural death and decrease susceptibility to Parkinson's disease and
Alzheimer's disease.
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