alpha 7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Schizophrenia

作者：Ishikawa Masatomo; Hashimoto Kenji^*

来源：Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2011, 17(2): 121-129.

DOI：10.2174/138161211795049561

• alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
• schizophrenia
• smoking
• nicotine
• P50 auditory evoked potential suppression
• agonists
• allosteric modulators

Accumulating evidence suggests that the alpha 7 subtype of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) plays a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Deficits in auditory P50 evoked potential suppression in patients with schizophrenia are associated with decreased density of alpha 7 nAChRs in the brain. Some agonists (e. g., DMXB-A and tropisetron) at alpha 7 nAChRs can improve P50 deficits in patients with schizophrenia. Together, these findings indicate that alpha 7 nAChRs are a potential therapeutic target for schizophrenia. Currently, a number of agonists and allosteric modulators at alpha 7 nAChRs are under development as potential therapeutic drugs. In this article, we review recent topics on alpha 7 nAChR agonists and alpha 7 nAChR allosteric modulators as therapeutic drugs for schizophrenia.

• 出版日期2011-1