Pirenzepine (Gastrozepin), an M₁ selective antagonist, is used in the treatment of

peptic ulcers Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a break in the inner lining of the stomach, the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while one in the first part of the intestines i ...

, as it reduces gastric acid secretion and reduces

muscle spasm A spasm is a sudden involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ such as the bladder. A spasmodic muscle contraction may be caused by many medical conditions, including dystonia. Most commonly, it is a muscl ...

. It is in a class of drugs known as muscarinic receptor antagonists - acetylcholine being the neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system which initiates the rest-and-digest state (as opposed to fight-or-flight), resulting in an increase in gastric motility and digestion; whereas pirenzepine would inhibit these actions and cause decreased gastric motility leading to delayed gastric emptying and constipation. It has no effects on the brain and spinal cord as it cannot diffuse through the blood–brain barrier. Pirenzepine has been investigated for use in myopia control. It promotes the homodimerization or

oligomerisation In chemistry and biochemistry, an oligomer () is a molecule that consists of a few repeating units which could be derived, actually or conceptually, from smaller molecules, monomers.Quote: ''Oligomer molecule: A molecule of intermediate relativ ...

of M₁ receptors.

References

Muscarinic antagonists Piperazines Lactams Pyridobenzodiazepines Acetamides Peripherally selective drugs {{gastrointestinal-drug-stub

See also

References