4-NEMD is a potent

sedative A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or Psychomotor agitation, excitement. They are central nervous system (CNS) Depressant, depressants and interact with brain activity, causing its decelera ...

drug which acts as a selective

alpha-2 adrenergic receptor The alpha-2 (α2) adrenergic receptor (or adrenoceptor) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) associated with the Gi alpha subunit, Gi heterotrimeric G-protein. It consists of three highly homologous subtypes, including α2A-adrenergic, α2A-, ...

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a Receptor (biochemistry), receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are Cell (biology), cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an R ...

. It is closely related to

dexmedetomidine Dexmedetomidine, sold under the brand name Precedex among others, is a medication used for sedation. Veterinarians use dexmedetomidine for similar purposes in treating cats, dogs, and horses. It is also used in humans to treat acute agitation as ...

but is several times more potent. Like other alpha-2 agonists, it produces sedative and

muscle relaxant A muscle relaxant is a drug that affects skeletal muscle function and decreases the muscle tone. It may be used to alleviate symptoms such as muscle spasms, pain, and hyperreflexia. The term "muscle relaxant" is used to refer to two major therapeu ...

effects but without producing

respiratory depression Hypoventilation (also known as respiratory depression) occurs when ventilation is inadequate (''hypo'' meaning "below") to perform needed respiratory gas exchange. By definition it causes an increased concentration of carbon dioxide (hypercapni ...

. It is not currently used in medicine, but has been researched as the basis for a potential new generation of alpha-2 agonist drugs, which may have selectivity for the different subtypes of the alpha-2 receptor. It has two isomers, with the (''S'') isomer being the more potent, as with

medetomidine Medetomidine is a veterinary anesthetic drug with potent sedative effects and emerging illicit drug adulterant. It is a racemic mixture of two stereoisomers, levomedetomidine and dexmedetomidine, the latter being the isomer with the pharmac ...

. 4-NEMD was also investigated by the United States military as an anesthetic agent, most likely for use in surgery, but possibly also for use as a non-lethal incapacitating agent, although this has not been officially confirmed.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:NEMD Alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonists Imidazoles 1-Naphthyl compounds Naphthylethylamines