Background:

Galantamine is a potent inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) with IC50 value of 410 nM. [1]
Acetylcholinesterase is a hydrolase. It belongs to carboxylesterase family of enzymes It hydrolyzes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and has very high catalytic activity. AChE exits in many types of conducting tissue: nerve and muscle, motor and sensory fibers and central and peripheral tissues. AChE located on the post-synaptic membrane. It stops the signal transmission by hydrolyzing ACh. Ach plays an important role in neurotransmission. ACh is released into the synaptic cleft then binds to ACh receptors which located on the post-synaptic membrane. Inhibition the activity of AChE will result in impeded neurotransmission by leading to accumulation of ACh in the synaptic cleft. AChE also is an important target for Alzheimer disease.[1]
Galantamine significantly decreased apoptotic effect induced by thapsigargin at 300 nM in SH-SY5Y cells. Galantamine can more significantly increase cell viability in LDH assays at 10 nM in neuroblastoma cells. Galantamine at 300 nM increase the cell viability treated with Aβ. Galantamine significantly increaseed the expression level of Bcl-2 by 3.1 fold at 300nM in chromaffin cells.[1]
Galantamine can significantly incrase the mRNAs level of IGF2 at 3mg/kg in the mice hippoc ampus. Galantamine also transient decrease the BDNF mRNA levels and increase the FGF2 mRNA levels. Galantamine significantly increased the expression of IGF2 protein levels at 3 mg/kg in the hippocampus of mice.[2]
参考文献:
[1].    Arias E, Ales E, Gabilan NH, Cano-Abad MF, Villarroya M, Garcia AG, Lopez MG: Galantamine prevents apoptosis induced by beta-amyloid and thapsigargin: involvement of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Neuropharmacology 2004, 46(1):103-114.
[2].    Kita Y, Ago Y, Takano E, Fukada A, Takuma K, Matsuda T: Galantamine increases hippocampal insulin-like growth factor 2 expression via alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 225(3):543-551.