| Systematic (IUPAC) name | |
|---|---|
| 2-Methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine | |
| Clinical data | |
| Pregnancy cat. | ? |
| Legal status | ? |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 96206-92-7 |
| ATC code | ? |
| PubChem | CID 3025961 |
| IUPHAR ligand | 1426 |
| ChemSpider | 7970355 |
| Chemical data | |
| Formula | C14H11N |
| Mol. mass | 193.243 g/mol |
| SMILES | eMolecules & PubChem |
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2-Methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP) is a research drug which was one of the first compounds found to act as a selective antagonist for the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype mGluR5. It was developed by the pharmaceutical company Novartis in the late 1990s.[1] It was found to produce neuroprotective effects following acute brain injury in animal studies, although it was unclear whether these results were purely from mGluR5 blockade as it also acts as a weak NMDA antagonist,[2][3] and as a positive allosteric modulator of another subtype mGlu4,[4] and there is also evidence for a functional interaction between mGluR5 and NMDA receptors in the same populations of neurons.[5] It was also shown to produce antidepressant[6][7][8] and anxiolytic effects in animals,[9][10][11] and to reduce the effects of morphine withdrawal,[12] most likely due to direct interaction between mGluR5 and the μ-opioid receptor.[13]
The main significance of MPEP has been as a lead compound to develop more potent and selective mGluR5 antagonists such as MTEP,[14] but research using MPEP itself continues, and recently it was shown to reduce self-administration of nicotine,[15][16] cocaine,[17][18] ketamine and heroin in animals,[19] possibly through an MPEP-induced potentiation of the rewarding effect of the self-administered drug,[20] and MPEP was also shown to possess weak reinforcing effects by itself.[21]
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