Product Name:Levetiracetam
CAS #: 102767-28-2
Mode of Action:
The exact mechanism through which levetiracetam exerts its anti-epileptic effects is unclear, but is thought to be unique amongst other anti-epileptic medications. Current knowledge suggests that levetiracetam’s binding to synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) is a key driver of its action. SV2A is a membrane-bound protein that is found on synaptic vesicles and is ubiquitous throughout the CNS - it appears to play a role in vesicle exocytosis and in the modulation of synaptic transmission by increasing the available amount of secretory vesicles available for neurotransmission. Stimulation of pre-synaptic SV2A by levetiracetam may inhibit neurotransmitter release, but this action does not appear to affect normal neurotransmission. This has led to the suggestion that levetiracetam exclusively modulates the function of SV2A only under pathophysiological conditions. Levetiracetam and related analogues showed a correlation between affinity for SV2A and anti-epileptic potency, further suggesting that action at this site contributes to the anti-epileptic activity of the drug.
IUPAC:
(2S)-2-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl)butanamide
Formula: C8-H-14-N2-O2
Molecular Mass:170.21g/mol