Amantril

Description

Amantadine Hydrochloride has direct and indirect effects on dopamine neurons. It acts on the pre-synaptic membrane, enhancing the release of dopamine and inhibiting its reuptake. Post-synaptically, Amantadine acts directly on the dopamine receptor, and up regulates D2 receptors. This may be due to Amantadine-induced hypersensitivity of dopamine receptors. It has antimuscarinic properties. Amantadine also has antiglutamatergic properties, via non-competitive antagonism of NMDA receptors. Furthermore, potent, competitive, non-subunit selective NMDA receptor antagonists reduce the severity of levodopa-induced dyskinesias. NMDA receptor sensitization may be a key event in the genesis of levodopa-induced dyskinesias. It also has immunomodulatory properties. It restores the production of interleukin-2 (IL-2), which is defective in Parkinson’s disease patients. The mechanism by which Amantadine exerts its antiviral activity is not clearly understood. It appears to mainly prevent the release of infectious viral nucleic acid into the host cell by interfering with the function of the transmembrane domain of the viral M2 protein. Amantadine is also known to prevent virus assembly during virus replication. It does not appear to interfere with the immunogenicity of inactivated influenza A virus vaccine.