Агомелатин

Agomelatine is an agonist of melatonin (MT) receptors and a derivative of melatonin . It binds to MT₁ and MT₂ receptors (K_is = 0.14 and 0.41 nM, respectively) and has an EC₅₀ value of 0.1 nM in a [³⁵S]GTPγS binding assay using CHO cells expressing MT₂ receptors. Agomelatine is also an antagonist of the serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtypes 5-HT_2B and 5-HT_2C (K_is = 0.26 and 0.71 nM, respectively, for the human receptors). Agomelatine (40 mg/kg) inhibits the penile erection response induced by the 5-HT₂ agonist Ro 60-0175 in rats. It also increases extracellular levels of noradrenaline and dopamine in the frontal cortex of freely moving rats when administered at doses ranging from 20 to 80 mg/kg. Agomelatine (10 mg/kg) reduces immobility time in the forced swim test and increases the amount of time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze in mice, indicating antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like activity, in a transgenic neuroendocrine model of depression. It also increases the rate of readjustment to circadian activity cycles following an induced phase shift.

White Solid

Agomelatine is a melatoninergic agonist and selective antagonist of 5-HT2C receptors, and has been shown to be active in several animal models of depression. Agomelatine (S20098) displayed pKi values of 6.4 and 6.2 at native (porcine) and cloned, human (h)5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)2C receptors, respectively.