Coluracetam - NutraPedia

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Coluracetam: Uses and Effects

1) Conditions Studied for Coluracetam

Coluracetam has been studied for its potential use in treating conditions such as:

  • Major depressive disorder
  • Generalized anxiety disorder
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Alzheimer's disease

2) Efficacy in Treating Those Conditions

There is currently limited clinical evidence to support the efficacy of coluracetam in treating the above conditions. Some studies and anecdotal reports suggest potential benefits, but more rigorous clinical trials are needed to determine its effectiveness and safety.

3) Potential Health Benefits

  • May enhance cognition and memory
  • Potential to improve focus and concentration
  • Could have neuroprotective effects

4) Possible Downsides

Like many nootropics, coluracetam may have downsides, including:

  • Limited human studies and lack of long-term safety data
  • Potential side effects such as headache, fatigue, nausea, or gastrointestinal discomfort
  • Risk of interactions with other medications or substances

5) Genetic Variations and Coluracetam

There is currently no conclusive evidence linking the benefits or harms of coluracetam to specific genetic variations. Personal genetics can influence how an individual responds to supplements and medications, so further research is needed in this area to draw any solid conclusions.

Coluracetam (MKC-231) Research Summary

Coluracetam, also known as MKC-231, is a compound that has been studied for its potential to enhance choline uptake and thereby improve cognitive functions. The research indicates that Coluracetam may increase the high-affinity choline uptake (HACU), which is essential for acetylcholine (ACh) production, by affecting the trafficking of the choline transporter CHT1 to the synaptic membrane.

Studies on animals treated with AF64A, a neurotoxin that impairs cognitive functions, show that Coluracetam can lead to cognitive improvements by increasing HACU. These cognitive benefits appear to last for a significant period after the compound is no longer detectable in the brain. Furthermore, Coluracetam does not affect acetylcholinesterase activity or other receptor bindings and does not induce the side effects commonly associated with other cognitive enhancers like tacrine.

Coluracetam has also been examined in the context of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Research has found a decrease in HACU in the brains of AD patients, which aligns with the cholinergic hypothesis of AD that suggests a degeneration of cholinergic neurons is responsible for cognitive decline. Moreover, Coluracetam has shown potential in reversing cholinergic deficits in neurodegenerative diseases, as well as in treating schizophrenia-related symptoms by counteracting behavioral and cellular changes caused by phencyclidine (PCP).

The neuroprotective effects of Coluracetam have been observed in studies where it reduced damage to cultured cortical neurons from fetal rats caused by glutamate and other harmful substances. This suggests that Coluracetam could be a promising candidate for the treatment of various neurological conditions associated with cholinergic dysfunction.

References:


  1. MKC-231, a choline uptake enhancer: (3) Mode of action of MKC-231 in the enhancement of high-affinity choline uptake
  2. MKC-231, a choline-uptake enhancer: (1) long-lasting cognitive improvement after repeated administration in AF64A-treated rats
  3. Sodium-dependent high affinity choline uptake: a regulatory step in the synthesis of acetylcholine
  4. High affinity transport of choline into synaptosomes of rat brain
  5. Selective cortical decrease of high-affinity choline uptake carrier in Alzheimer's disease: an autoradiographic study using 3H-hemicholinium-3
  6. Evidence for high affinity choline transport in synaptosomes prepared from hippocampus and neocortex of patients with Alzheimer's disease
  7. Regulatory changes in presynaptic cholinergic function assessed in rapid autopsy material from patients with Alzheimer disease: implications for etiology and therapy
  8. Long-term central cholinergic hypofunction induced in mice by ethylcholine aziridinium ion (AF64A) in vivo
  9. MKC-231, a choline uptake enhancer: (2) Effect on synthesis and release of acetylcholine in AF64A-treated rats
  10. Effect of the novel high affinity choline uptake enhancer 2-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl)-N-(2,3-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofuro[2,3-b] quinolin-4-yl)acetoamide on deficits of water maze learning in rats
  11. MKC-231, a choline uptake enhancer, ameliorates working memory deficits and decreased hippocampal acetylcholine induced by ethylcholine aziridinium ion in mice
  12. PCP: from pharmacology to modelling schizophrenia
  13. Subsequent exposure to the choline uptake enhancer MKC-231 antagonizes phencyclidine-induced behavioral deficits and reduction in septal cholinergic neurons in rats
  14. Protective effect of MKC-231, a novel high affinity choline uptake enhancer, on glutamate cytotoxicity in cultured cortical neurons


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