Zolmitriptan

Zolmitriptan produces concentration-dependent contractions of primate basilar artery and human epicardial coronary artery rings. Zolmitriptan displays high affinity at human recombinant 5-HT1D (formerly 5-HT1D alpha) and 5-HT1B (formerly 5-HT1D beta) receptors in transfected CHO-K1 cell membranes. ^[1] Zolmitriptan increases I(K) in a concentration-dependent manner (maximum increase 16.3%) with a pD(2) value of 7.03 in C6 glioma cells expressing recombinant human 5-HT(1B) receptor. Zolmitriptan-induced increases in I(K) are prevented by the calcium chelator, EGTA (5 mM) when included in the patch pipette in C6 cells expressing cloned human 5-HT(1B) receptors. ^[2]

Zolmitriptan (3-30 mg/kg, i.v.) administrated ten minutes before unilateral electrical stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion causes a dose-dependent inhibition of [125I]-albumin extravasation within the ipsilateral dura mater in anaesthetized guinea-pigs. ^[1] Zolmitriptan (10-1000 mg/kg, i.v.) selectively reduces arteriovenous-anastomotic (AVA) conductance producing a maximum decrease of 92.5%. Zolmitriptan also produces a modest reduction in extra-cerebral conductance (23.9% maximum reduction at 30 mg/kg, i.v.), but is without effect on cerebral conductance. Zolmitriptan (1-30 mg/kg, i.v.) produces dose-dependent decreases in ear microvascular conductance (15% to 60%) which mirror decreases in carotid arterial conductance in anaesthetised cats. ^[3] Zolmitriptan exerts behaviorally specific anti-aggressive effects in mice. Zolmitriptan also decreases alcohol-heightened aggression with equal efficacy in mice. ^[4]