Minaprine (dihydrochloride)

Minaprine dihydrochloride is a brain-penetrant monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Minaprine dihydrochloride also weakly inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Minaprine dihydrochloride reduces intraneuronal dopamine metabolism, lowers striatal homovanillic acid and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid levels, and raises striatal 3-methoxytyramine and 5-hydroxytryptamine levels. Minaprine dihydrochloride exhibits convulsant, antidepressant properties^[1][2]. In Vitro:Minaprine (5×10^-4 M) dihydrochloride does not interact with dopaminergic receptors in rat striatal membranes, as it fails to displace [³H]spiperone binding^[1].
Minaprine (40-160 μM) dihydrochloride does not alter choline acetyltransferase activity in rat striatal or hippocampal tissue preparations in vitro^[2].
Minaprine (40-160 μM) dihydrochloride inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity in rat striatal and hippocampal tissue preparations in vitro^[2].
Minaprine dihydrochloride weakly displaces (³H) dexetimide from specific muscarinic receptors in rat striatal homogenates in vitro, with an IC₅₀ of 2×10^-4 M^[2]. In Vivo:Minaprine (2.5-30 mg/kg; i.p.; single dose) dihydrochloride induces dose-dependent and time-dependent reductions in striatal HVA and DOPAC, alongside increases in striatal 3-MT, with maximal effects observed 30 minutes after administration, and appears to act via partial, reversible inhibition of monoamine oxidase activity^[1].
Minaprine (7.5-30 mg/kg; i.p.; single dose or once daily for 10 consecutive days) dihydrochloride dose-dependently increases acetylcholine levels in multiple rat brain regions^[2].