Sunifiram

Sunifiram

Systematic (IUPAC) name
1-benzoyl-4-propanoylpiperazine
Clinical data
Legal status	Unscheduled
Identifiers
CAS Number	314728-85-3 Y
PubChem	CID: 4223812
ChEMBL	CHEMBL309176 N
Chemical data
Formula	C14H18N2O2
Molecular mass	246.304 g/mol
SMILES c2ccccc2C(=O)N1CCN(CC1)C(=O)CC
NY (what is this?)  (verify)

Sunifiram (DM-235) is a piperazine derived research chemical which has effects in animal studies with significantly higher potency than piracetam. A number of related compounds are known, including unifiram (DM-232).

Mechanisms

1. Sunifiram activates AMPA-mediated neurotransmission.
2. It enhances LTP in a bell-shaped dose–response relationship. This enhancement by sunifiram is associated with an increase in phosphorylation of AMPAR through activation of protein kinase II (CaMKII) and an increase in phosphorylation of NMDAR through activation of protein kinase C α (PKCα). More specifically, sunifiram stimulates the glycine-binding site of NMDAR with concomitant PKCα activation through Src kinase. Enhancement of PKCα activity triggers hippocampal LTP through CaMKII activation.
3. Sunifiram improves cognitive deficits via CaM kinase II and protein kinase C activation. PKC activation may be a common mechanism amongst cognition stimulating drugs from different chemical classes.
4. Sunifiram aids in the release of acetylcholine in the cerebral cortex.

Safety

As of 2015, the safety of sunifiram in humans remains unknown, and no formal studies with it in humans have been conducted.

Mice injected with sunifiram at 1mg/kg of body weight, i.e. 1,000 times the minimal effective dose required to prevent scopolamine-induced amnesia, did not exhibit any collateral symptoms. This, however, does not address long-term safety or drug interactions.

Activation of PKC-α by sunifiram may present safety concerns of its own.