Neuroscience Research Compound · For laboratory research use only
Also known as CI-879
Pramiracetam (N-[2-[bis(1-methylethyl)amino]ethyl]-2-oxo-1-pyrrolidineacetamide, investigational code CI-879) is a pyrrolidinone acetamide from the racetam family. It emerged from a 1984 medicinal chemistry series of N-[(dialkylamino)alkyl]-2-oxo-1-pyrrolidineacetamides that were screened for reversal of electroconvulsive shock-induced amnesia in mice; the bis(1-methylethyl)aminoethyl derivative was selected for further evaluation1.
Most of the published work dates from the 1980s and 1990s and comes from rodent models. Studies have examined hippocampal high-affinity choline uptake, spatial learning in the radial arm maze, choline transport across the blood-brain barrier, cortical nitric oxide synthase activity and responses to hypobaric hypoxia2,3,4,5,6. A 2010 review groups pramiracetam with piracetam, oxiracetam, aniracetam and phenylpiracetam and notes that the modes of action of piracetam-like compounds remain poorly understood7.
As described in the research literature
As described in the research literature, the most cited mechanistic finding concerns cholinergic activity. In rats, hippocampal synaptosomes prepared from in vivo studies showed increased sodium-dependent high-affinity choline uptake (HACU) with pramiracetam, whereas piracetam and aniracetam were reported to be ineffective in the same assay2.
Other studies have examined further candidate pathways. Pramiracetam and piracetam prevented the scopolamine-induced changes in choline transport across the blood-brain barrier measured in nine rat brain regions, and both increased cerebral blood flow4. In rat cerebral cortex homogenates, pramiracetam was associated with increased neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity without a change in NOS mRNA expression, an effect not seen in the hippocampus5.
What published studies have examined
The originating structure-activity study examined a series of pyrrolidineacetamides for reversal of electroconvulsive shock-induced amnesia in mice and in a general observational test for central nervous system activity1.
Sources [1]
Rat hippocampal synaptosomes were used to compare seven compounds reported to affect cognition on high-affinity choline uptake2. A separate study measured blood-brain barrier choline transport and cerebral blood flow in scopolamine-treated rats4.
A 16-arm radial maze task in rats was used to distinguish working memory from reference memory over seven weeks of testing; the study reported an effect on the reference memory component but not the working memory component3.
Sources [3]
Neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity and mRNA expression were measured in rat cortex and hippocampus, alone and after lithium chloride pretreatment5. Hippocampal afterdischarges were recorded in immature rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia, where the authors described the action of pramiracetam as only moderate6.
Amnesia-reversal activity of a series of N-[(disubstituted-amino)alkyl] -2-oxo-1-pyrrolidineacetamides, including pramiracetam.
Butler DE, Nordin IC, L'Italien YJ, et al. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 1984.
The effects of various cognition-enhancing drugs on in vitro rat hippocampal synaptosomal sodium dependent high affinity choline uptake.
Shih YH, Pugsley TA Life Sciences, 1985.
The effect of pramiracetam (CI-879) on the acquisition of a radial arm maze task.
Murray CL, Fibiger HC Psychopharmacology, 1986.
Reversal of scopolamine-induced alterations of choline transport across the blood-brain barrier by the nootropics piracetam and pramiracetam.
Brust P Arzneimittel-Forschung, 1989.
Systemic administration of pramiracetam increases nitric oxide synthase activity in the cerebral cortex of the rat.
Corasaniti MT, Paoletti AM, Palma E, et al. Functional Neurology, 1995.
The action of pramiracetam on consequences of hypobaric hypoxia is only moderate.
Maresová D, Mares P Physiological Research, 1996.
Piracetam and piracetam-like drugs: from basic science to novel clinical applications to CNS disorders.
Malykh AG, Sadaie MR Drugs, 2010.
This page is provided for research and educational reference only. It does not constitute medical advice, dosing guidance, or a recommendation for use. All compounds are strictly for laboratory and in-vitro research purposes.