α2-Agonists as analgesic agents

✍ Scribed by Maria Paola Giovannoni; Carla Ghelardini; Claudia Vergelli; Vittorio Dal Piaz

• Book ID: 102507220
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 336 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0198-6325
• DOI: 10.1002/med.20134

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

It is well known that norepinephrine is involved in the control of pain by modulating pain‐related responses through various pathways. α~2~‐Adrenergic agonists have a well‐established analgesic profile and, in the recent years, have found a wider application, in particular as adjunct to anesthetics and analgesics in perioperative settings. This review analyzes the α~2~‐agonists currently in clinical use, starting from the prototype Clonidine, as well as the most promising and studied molecules. In addition, an overview of the imidazoles, imidazolines, and hydroxyethyl‐thioureas derivatives published in both the open and patented literature is presented, providing chemical description and pharmacological data. Finally, the most commonly α~2~‐agonists used in veterinary medicine are described. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 29, No. 2, 339–368, 2009