Fentonium is an anticholinergic, antispasmodic and anti-ulcerogenic agent. It is quaternary analog of hyoscyamine, is a blocker of muscarinic activity and an allosteric blocker of α12βγε nicotinic receptors. It increases the spontaneous release of acetylcholine at the motor endplate without depolarizing the muscle or inhibiting cholinesterase activity. Fentonium inhibited transmitter release and depressed twitch without changing the responsiveness to noradrenaline or ATP. It is a K(+)-channel opener. Administration of fentonium bromide in rats receiving naloxone after chronic morphine treatment reduced the intensity of withdrawal signs such as increased defecation or micturition, salivation and wet-dog shakes, and elevated the nociceptive threshold values.

Methylnaltrexone bromide, (17s)- (methylnaltrexone bromide), a quaternary amine of the pure narcotic antagonist naltrexone, is a peripherally-acting selective mu-opioid antagonist. Methylnaltrexone antagonizes opioid binding at mu-opioid receptors, half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 70 nM. It has a relatively lower affinity for κ-opioid receptors (IC50 575 nM), and it does not interact with δ-receptors or orphanin FQ receptors. Approved by FDA in the United States under the trade name Relistor, methylnaltrexone bromide is indicated for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation in patients with advanced illness who are receiving palliative care, when the response to laxative therapy has not been sufficient. Restricted ability to cross the blood-brain barrier allows methylnaltrexone bromide to function in tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract, decreasing the constipating effects of opioids without impacting opioid-mediated analgesic effects on the central nervous system.

trans-Sobrerol is a mucolytic known due its emplyment in therapy for respiratory diseases. In preclinical studies sobrerol, administered daily at the oral dose of 400 mg/rat, markedly decreased the monocrotaline-induced alterations and regulate the development of pulmonary hypertension. Treatment with sobrerol was well tolerated and significantly reduced frontal headache and rhinorrhoea, efficacy being confirmed by rhinomanometry.

Oxyfedrine, an amino ketone derivative and partial agonist at beta receptors, has been shown to have potent antianginal properties and to increase coronary blood flow in normal and ischemic myocardial regions.

Mitiglinide is a drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes currently marked under tradename Glufast. Glufast® is available as the tablet for oral use, containing 5 mg or 10 mg of Mitiglinide calcium hydrate. The recommended dose is 10 mg three times daily just before each meal (within 5 minutes). Mitiglinide was approved by Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency of Japan (PMDA) on January 29, 2004, and is currently co-marketed in Japan by Kissei and Takeda. Mitiglinide is a rapid-acting insulin secretion-stimulating agent, its belongs to the meglitinide (glinide) class of blood glucose-lowering drugs. Mitiglinide is thought to stimulate insulin secretion by closing the ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channels in pancreatic beta-cells.

Indobufen inhibits platelet aggregation by reversibly inhibiting the platelet cyclooxygenase enzyme thereby suppressing thromboxane synthesis. Indobufen under brand name ibustrin is used in Italy for the following conditions: cerebrovascular insufficiency, atherosclerosis of peripheral and cerebral vessels, thrombophlebitis, deep vein thrombosis, and diabetes mellitus. In addition, this drug has been investigated in the phase II clinical trial for the prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation. After oral administration, it is quickly and completely absorbed.

Oxitefonium is an anticholinergic spasmolytic medication used for the treatment of asthma.

Raclopride is a salicylamide neuroleptic, that acts as a selective antagonist of D2 dopamine receptors both in vitro and in vivo. Tritium-labelled raclopride has properties that demonstrate its usefulness as a radioligand for the labelling of dopamine-D2 receptors : 3H-Raclopride has a high affinity for the rat and human dopamine-D2 receptors, the non-specific binding of 3H-raclopride is very low, not exceeding 5% of the total binding and the distribution of the 3H-raclopride binding sites in the brain closely correlates with the dopaminergic innervation. The binding of 3H-raclopride is blocked by dopamine-D2 agonists and antagonists, while the D1 agonist SKF 38393 and the Dl antagonist SCH 23390 have much less potency. The interaction of dopamine with 3H-raclopride binding results in a shallow competition curve, which suggests that 3H-raclopride, similar to other dopamine-D2 radioligands, labels both high and low agonist affinity states of the dopamine-D2 receptor. The in vivo receptor binding studies performed with 3H-raclopride also demonstrate its favorable properties as a dopamine-D2 receptor marker in vivo In contrast to some other compounds used as radioligands, raclopride enters the brain readily and binds with a low component of non-specific binding in all dopamine-rich brain areas. A saturation curve may be achieved in vivo binding studies since injections of increasing concentrations of 3H-raclopride appears to be saturated at concentrations above 25 mkCi (corresponding to approximately 5 nmol/kg). Raclopride antagonizes apomorphine-induced hyperactivity in the rat at low doses (ED50 = 130 nM/kg i.p.) but induces catalepsy only at much higher doses (ED50 = 27 mkM/kg i.p.). Radiolabelled raclopride has been used as a ligand for in vitro and in vivo autoradiography in rat and primate brains. Raclopride C 11 is used with positron emission tomography (PET) as a clinical research tool to determine dopamine type 2 (D 2) receptor density in the human brain under normal and pathological conditions. For example, raclopride C 11 used in PET studies has served to confirm the age-related decrease in striatal dopamine D2 receptor density, which may be associated with a decline in the motor as well as cognitive functions. In patients with Alzheimer's disease, raclopride C 11 may be used to examine neuroreceptor distribution and quantities, which may help in the analysis of degenerative alterations of neuron populations and neuroreceptor systems in patients with this disease. In Huntington's disease, in which degeneration of neostriatal interneurons occurs (postsynaptic to the dopaminergic input), specific binding of raclopride C 11 to D 2 receptors may serve as one of the parameters in predicting performance in cognitive tasks.

Sitafloxacin hydrate (DU-6859a, Gracevit), a new-generation, broad-spectrum oral fluoroquinolone that is very active against many Gram-positive, Gram-negative and anaerobic clinical isolates, including strains resistant to other fluoroquinolones, was recently approved in Japan for the treatment of respiratory and urinary tract infections. This is a new quinolone oral antibacterial to inhibit DNA replication of bacteria at the time of infection, and shows antibacterial action. Sitafloxacin is active against methicillin-resistant staphylococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae and other streptococci with reduced susceptibility to levofloxacin and other quinolones and enterococci. Sitafloxacin has also demonstrated activity against clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae (including about 67% of strains producing extended-spectrum, beta-lactamases and resistant to ciprofloxacin), Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa with some activity against quinolone-resistant strains and Acinetobacter baumannii. The in vitro activity against anaerobes is comparable to imipenem or metronidazole. Sitafloxacin showed dual inhibitory activity against both enzymes: Streptococcus pneumoniae DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV.

Ractopamine hydrochloride, a beta-adrenoceptor agonist, is a phenethanolamine salt approved for use as a feed additive. Recently published studies indicate that the RR-isomer (butopamine) is the stereoisomer with the most activity at the beta-adrenoceptor. Butopamine was shown to be a non-selective ligand at the beta1 and beta2-adrenoceptors, but signal transduction is more efficiently coupled through the b2-adrenoceptor than the beta1 adrenoceptor. Therefore, the RR-isomer of ractopamine is considered to be a full agonist at the beta2-adrenoceptor and a partial agonist at the beta1¬adrenoceptor. These results are consistent with the pharmacological characterization of racemic ractopamine in isolated cardiac (atria) and smooth muscle (costo-uterine, vas deferens, trachea), which shows a maximal response at beta2- and a submaximal response at beta1¬adrenoceptors when compared with the full beta1 and beta2-adrenoceptor agonist isoproterenol. Butopamine is chemically similar to dobutamine but, unlike dobutamine, it is not a catecholamine. Butopamine induces a positive inotropic response in patients with congestive heart failure but for equal increments in cardiac output, butopamine increases heart rate more than dobutamine. Butopamine inproved cardiac performance in patients with ventricular dysfunction and congestive heart failure. Butopamine was prepared by Tuttle et al (unpublished data) and has a structure similar to dobutamine. This compound is refractory to the action of catechol-O-methyl transferase and thus it is orally active and has a longlasting action. Clinical findings in acute heart failure cases have been reported by Thompson et al. Intravenous administration produced an increase in the cardiac index and heart rate and shortening of systolic time intervals. A few patients experienced ventricular ectopy, especially with the higher doses used. No data pertaining to oral administration are available.