Values are Ki (nM), unless otherwise noted. The smaller the value, the more strongly the drug binds to the site.
The pharmacology of dextrorphan is similar to that of dextromethorphan (DXM). However, dextrorphan is much more potent as an NMDA receptor antagonist as well much less active as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, but retains DXM's activity as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.[8]
It also has more affinity for the opioid receptors than dextromethorphan, significantly so at high doses.
Dextrorphan has a notably longer elimination half-life than its parent compound, and therefore has a tendency to accumulate in the blood after repeated administration of normally dosed dextromethorphan formulations.[citation needed] It is further converted to 3-HM by CYP3A4 or glucuronidated.[9]
Dextrorphan was under development for the treatment of stroke, and reached phase IIclinical trials for this indication, but development was discontinued.[11]
^Zawertailo LA, Kaplan HL, Busto UE, Tyndale RF, Sellers EM (August 1998). "Psychotropic effects of dextromethorphan are altered by the CYP2D6 polymorphism: a pilot study". Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 18 (4): 332–337. doi:10.1097/00004714-199808000-00014. PMID9690700.
^Roth BL, Driscol J. "PDSP Ki Database". Psychoactive Drug Screening Program (PDSP). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the United States National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstNguyen L, Thomas KL, Lucke-Wold BP, Cavendish JZ, Crowe MS, Matsumoto RR (2016). "Dextromethorphan: An update on its utility for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders". Pharmacol. Ther. 159: 1–22. doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2016.01.016. PMID26826604.
^Werling LL, Keller A, Frank JG, Nuwayhid SJ (2007). "A comparison of the binding profiles of dextromethorphan, memantine, fluoxetine and amitriptyline: treatment of involuntary emotional expression disorder". Exp. Neurol. 207 (2): 248–57. doi:10.1016/j.expneurol.2007.06.013. PMID17689532. S2CID38476281.
^Raynor K, Kong H, Mestek A, Bye LS, Tian M, Liu J, Yu L, Reisine T (1995). "Characterization of the cloned human mu opioid receptor". J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 272 (1): 423–8. PMID7815359.
^Pechnick RN, Poland RE (May 2004). "Comparison of the effects of dextromethorphan, dextrorphan, and levorphanol on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis". The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 309 (2): 515–522. doi:10.1124/jpet.103.060038. PMID14742749. S2CID274504.