Tricyanoaminopropene (TRIAP, TCAP, malononitrile dimer, 1,1,3-tricyano-2-amino-1-propene) is a

nootropic Nootropics ( or ) (colloquially brain supplements, smart drugs, cognitive enhancers, memory enhancers, or brain boosters) are chemical substances which purportedly improve cognitive functions, such as attention, memory, wakefulness, and self ...

drug which mimics the function of

nerve growth factor Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophic factor and neuropeptide primarily involved in the regulation of growth, maintenance, proliferation, and survival of certain target neurons. It is perhaps the prototypical growth factor, in that it was ...

and increases the growth of nerves and tissue regeneration both in isolated tissues and ''in vivo''. It stimulates the action of the enzyme

choline acetyltransferase Choline acetyltransferase (commonly abbreviated as ChAT, but sometimes CAT) is a transferase enzyme responsible for the synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. ChAT catalyzes the transfer of an acetyl group from the coenzyme acetyl-Co ...

, resulting in increased

acetylcholine Acetylcholine (ACh) is an organic compound that functions in the brain and body of many types of animals (including humans) as a neurotransmitter. Its name is derived from its chemical structure: it is an ester of acetic acid and choline. Par ...

production. This then results in increased synthesis of

RNA Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule that is essential for most biological functions, either by performing the function itself (non-coding RNA) or by forming a template for the production of proteins (messenger RNA). RNA and deoxyrib ...

in many different tissues in the body. However it also suppresses the production of

thyroxine Thyroxine, also known as T4, is a hormone produced by the thyroid gland. It is the primary form of thyroid hormone found in the blood and acts as a prohormone of the more active thyroid hormone, triiodothyronine (T3). Thyroxine and its acti ...

, causing temporary

hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is an endocrine disease in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones. It can cause a number of symptoms, such as cold intolerance, poor ability to tolerate cold, fatigue, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, co ...

which returns to normal once the drug is discontinued. Tricyanoaminopropene reduces the

amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or brain diseases,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be temporarily caused by t ...

produced by electroconvulsive shock, and animal tests suggested nootropic activity, but no beneficial effect was found when it was tested in mentally disabled children, and administration to pregnant rats actually reduced learning ability in their young because of its anti-thyroid hormone effects. This drug thus produces two effects which oppose each other, with the nootropic effect from the increased acetylcholine production cancelled out by the opposite effect produced by the decrease in production of thyroxine. It is not known whether the efficacy of the drug could be improved by supplementation with additional thyroxine or equivalent drugs.

References

{{reflist Abandoned drugs Nootropics Nitriles Alkene derivatives Amines

See also

References