TC-1827 is an
orally active, selective
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 ...
of the
α4β2 nicotinic receptors. Administration of TC-1827 improved memory and learning in a variety of rodents and increased
long-term potentiation
In neuroscience, long-term potentiation (LTP) is a persistent strengthening of synapses based on recent patterns of activity. These are patterns of synaptic activity that produce a long-lasting increase in signal transmission between two neuron ...
in
hippocampal
The hippocampus (: hippocampi; via Latin from Greek , 'seahorse'), also hippocampus proper, is a major component of the brain of humans and many other vertebrates. In the human brain the hippocampus, the dentate gyrus, and the subiculum ar ...
slices. In addition, the compound was without significant cardiovascular side effects, except for a small, transient rise in
arterial blood pressure
Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term "blood pressure" r ...
. The pro-cognitive effects of TC-1827 last much longer than the short half-life (0.2–1.0 hours) would suggest.
References
{{Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor modulators
Nicotinic agonists
Nootropics
Pyrimidines