-Norpseudoephedrine, or (−)-norpseudoephedrine, is a

psychostimulant Stimulants (also known as central nervous system stimulants, or psychostimulants, or colloquially as uppers) are a class of drugs that increase alertness. They are used for various purposes, such as enhancing attention, motivation, cognition ...

drug A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via insufflation (medicine), inhalation, drug i ...

of the

amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from Alpha and beta carbon, alpha-methylphenethylamine, methylphenethylamine) is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, an ...

family. It is one of the four

optical isomer In chemistry, a molecule or ion is called chiral () if it cannot be superposed on its mirror image by any combination of rotations, translations, and some conformational changes. This geometric property is called chirality (). The terms are de ...

s of

phenylpropanolamine Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), sold under many brand names, is a sympathomimetic agent used as a decongestant and appetite suppressant. It was once common in prescription and over-the-counter cough and cold preparations. The medication is taken ...

, the other three being

cathine Cathine, also known as -norpseudoephedrine or as (+)-norpseudoephedrine, is a psychoactive drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine groups which acts as a stimulant. Along with cathinone, it is found naturally in ''Catha edulis'' (khat), and ...

((+)-norpseudoephedrine), (−)-norephedrine, and (+)-norephedrine; as well as one of the two

enantiomer In chemistry, an enantiomer (Help:IPA/English, /ɪˈnænti.əmər, ɛ-, -oʊ-/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''ih-NAN-tee-ə-mər''), also known as an optical isomer, antipode, or optical antipode, is one of a pair of molecular entities whi ...

s of

norpseudoephedrine Norpseudoephedrine may refer to: * Cathine (or D-norpseudoephedrine), the (+)-enantiomer and most widely known form of the compound * L-Norpseudoephedrine, the (-)-enantiomer of the compound * , the racemic mixture of the compound See also *Pseud ...

(the other being cathine). Similarly to cathine, -norpseudoephedrine acts as a releasing agent of

norepinephrine Norepinephrine (NE), also called noradrenaline (NA) or noradrenalin, is an organic compound, organic chemical in the catecholamine family that functions in the brain and human body, body as a hormone, neurotransmitter and neuromodulator. The ...

( EC₅₀ = 30 nM) and to a lesser extent of

dopamine Dopamine (DA, a contraction of 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is a neuromodulatory molecule that plays several important roles in cells. It is an organic chemical of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families. It is an amine synthesized ...

(EC₅₀ = 294 nM). Due to the 10-fold difference in its

potency Potency may refer to: * Potency (pharmacology), a measure of the activity of a drug in a biological system * Virility * Cell potency, a measure of the differentiation potential of stem cells * In homeopathic dilutions, potency is a measure of ho ...

for inducing the release of the two

neurotransmitter A neurotransmitter is a signaling molecule secreted by a neuron to affect another cell across a Chemical synapse, synapse. The cell receiving the signal, or target cell, may be another neuron, but could also be a gland or muscle cell. Neurotra ...

s however, -norpseudoephedrine could be called a modestly selective or preferential norepinephrine releasing agent, similarly to related compounds like

ephedrine Ephedrine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant and sympathomimetic agent that is often used to prevent hypotension, low blood pressure during anesthesia. It has also been used for asthma, narcolepsy, and obesity but is not the preferred ...

and

pseudoephedrine Pseudoephedrine, sold under the brand name Sudafed among others, is a sympathomimetic medication which is used as a decongestant to treat nasal congestion. It has also been used off-label for certain other indications, like treatment of lo ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norpseudoephedrine, L- Beta-Hydroxyamphetamines Enantiopure drugs Methamphetamines Norepinephrine releasing agents Stimulants