The work of Vittorio Erspamer and Daniel Bovet opened the path to the study of an important class of neurotransmitters called biogenic amines. These include 5-hydroxytriptamine (serotonin), dopamine and norepinephrine. They regulate multiple aspects of physiology and are implicated in a diversity of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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| The chemical structure of cabergoline |
Dopamine works in the brain by activating cellular proteins called dopamine receptors. The drug
cabergoline mimics the actions of dopamine at its D2 receptor subtype. It is utilized to suppress excessive production of the hormone prolactin and, at high doses, to slow down Parkinson’s disease. It was discovered by Luigi Bernardi, at the Farmitalia Carlo Erba laboratories, and investigated pharmacologically by Aldemio Temperilli, Enrico Di Salle, Metilde Bonamici and Alessandro Rossi.
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| The chemical structure of reboxetine |
The actions of norepinephrine at its cell-surface receptors are stopped when this neurotransmitter is taken up and destroyed by neurons.
Reboxetine is the first selective inhibitor of neuronal norepinephrine uptake. It was discovered by Piero Melloni and Alessandro Rossi and is used for the treatment of depression and panic disorder.
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| The chemical structure of trazodone |
Trazodone is an antidepressant drug that was identified in the 1970s by Giuseppe Palazzo and Bruno Silvestrini, at the Angelini laboratories in Rome. Because of its unusual pharmacological profile, different from those of other antidepressants, trazodone has been widely used in persons suffering from depression associated with anxiety.
