Psilocybin is found in a family of mushrooms commonly known as "magic mushrooms" that have been used throughout history to induce hallucinations. In the late 1950s Albert Hofmann, of Sandoz Laboratories, identified and synthesized the psychoactive compounds psilocybin and psilocin which are found in psilocybe mushrooms. Psilocybin was marketed by Sandoz as Indocybin for basic psychopharmacological and therapeutic clinical research. Psilocybin saw a rapid rise in popularity during the 1960s and was classed as a Schedule I drug in 1970. This led to a significant decrease in psilocybin research. Recently, however, preliminary studies with psilocybin have shown promise as potential for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder, alcohol addiction, tobacco addiction, and major depressive disorder, and the treatment of depression in terminally ill cancer patients. This review describes in detail the synthesis, metabolism, pharmacology, adverse drug reactions, and importance of psilocybin to neuroscience in the past and present.
Pramipexole
was first manufactured by Pharmacia and Upjohn in July
1997 under the United States brand names of Mirapex and Mirapex ER. Pramipexole is classified as
a nonergoline aminobenzothiazole compound that selectively agonizes
the dopamine D2-like receptor subfamily, which includes
the D2, D3, and D4 receptor subtypes.
Pramipexole is a unique compound in its therapeutic potential because
it has D3-preferring properties. The D3 receptor
target has implications in both motor and psychiatric symptoms of
Parkinson’s disease, restless leg syndrome, and bipolar and
unipolar depression. Currently, pramipexole is approved to treat signs
and symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease and moderate
to severe symptoms of primary restless leg syndrome. Parkinson’s
disease is characterized by tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, gait disorders,
and a disturbance of posture due to a decrease in dopamine stores
in the substantia nigra with the consequent presence of Lewy bodies.
Restless leg syndrome is a neurologic sensorimotor disorder characterized
by a compelling urge to move the body/limb to relieve this uncomfortable
sensation. In this Review, we will discuss the synthesis, drug metabolism,
pharmacology, adverse effects, history, and the importance of pramipexole
to neuroscience and describe its role in therapy.
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