Pharmacology and clinical applications of flupirtine: Current and future options

Table 1 Summary of pharmacological profile and potential clinical applications of flupirtine

	Molecular target	Clinical condition	Ref.
Analgesia	Kv7.2, Kv7.3, Kv7.5 channels	Persistent pain	[2,16,24,27]
	GIRK channels	Acute pain
	GABAA receptors
Anticonvulsant	Kv7.2, Kv7.3, Kv7.5 channels	Neonatal seizures	[33-35,38,39,43]
	GIRK channels	Repetitive febrile seizures
Neuroprotection	Kv7 channels - indirect NMDA receptor antagonism	Stroke	[47-49,52,53,55,56]
	Bcl-2 protein	Chronic stress
	Glutathione	Prion diseases
		Parkinson's disease
		Alzheimer's disease
Skeletal muscle relaxant	Kv7.2, Kv7.3, Kv7.4 channels	Spinal Polysynaptic reflexes	[60-63]
		Myotonia
		Parkinson's disease
Vascular smooth muscle relaxation	Kv7.4, Kv7.5 channels	Coronary artery disease, angina	[69,74-76]
	Unidentified mechanism	Pulmonary hypertension
Urinary bladder smooth muscle relaxation	Kv7.4 channels	Overactive bladder	[78-80]
		Detrusor overactivity
Myometrial smooth muscle relaxation	Kv7 channels	Preterm labour (tocolysis)	[83]
Gastrointestinal smooth muscle relaxation	Kv7.4, Kv7.5 channels	Functional dyspepsia	[84-86]
		Irritable bowel syndrome
Respiratory smooth muscle relaxation	Kv7.4, Kv7.5 channels	Asthma	[88,89]
Auditory stabilization	Kv7.2, Kv7.3 channels	Tinnitus	[91]
Retinal stabilization	Kv7 channels	Photoreceptor dystrophic disorders	[92-94]
		Age related macular degeneration
		Blindness
Memory formation	Kv7 channels	Learning and memory impairment	[52,53]
		Cognitive processing

GIRK: G-protein-regulated inwardly rectifying K⁺ channels; GABA: γ-aminobutyric acid; NMDA: N-methyl-D-aspartate.