GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Pyritinol has been continuously used and researched since it was patented by Merck in 1961,
thus it is most probably the oldest nootropic drug still in
use today. The drug has been used to treat a wide range of
disorders and problems from alcoholism to cerebral
trauma.
ROLE FOR ANTI-AGING:
In 1989, two scientists from the former Czechoslovakia discovered that pyritinol is a potent
scavenger of hydroxyl free radicals. It is now widely
accepted that the antioxidant properties of the drug are
responsible for many of the benefits of Pyritinol. The
discovery that Pyritinol can protect proteins in the
brain against radical induced polymerization, coupled with evidence showing that the drug enhances
cholinergic transmission in the brain explains why it has
been useful in the treatment of several cognitive disorders.
Trials have shown that pyritinol is useful in
protecting brain cells from hypoxia, aiding recovery from head injury and stroke, and alleviating
dementia. Pyritinol is known to increase nerve activity in an area of the brain known
as the locus coeruleus, which has been linked to learning
and memory. Pyritinol has also been clinically proven as a
treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. The drug also
enhances or normalizes glucose transport through the blood-brain barrier and increases the
production of energy from glucose. In 1993, researchers
found that pyritinol enhanced the immune system by
stimulating neutrophil migration, an increasing the survival
time of the white blood cells.
SIDE EFFECTS/CONTRAINDICATIONS:
Pyritinol is generally well-tolerated, although
the drug can occasionally cause skin rashes and gastrointestinal disturbances. However, during a
trial of the drug for the treatment of rheumatoid artiritis
some serious side effects were observed. Thus, patients
using pyritinol to treat rheumatoid arthritis should only do
so when advised (and supervised) by a doctor. Pyritinol should not be taken by pregnant women or
those who believe they may be pregnant.
PHARMACOLOGY:
Pyritinol is almost identical in structure to
vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), however it does not have any actions that are similar to those of the
vitamin.
Synonyms:
pyridoxine disulfide
