amobarbital sodium

Amobarbital sodium is an intermediate-acting barbiturate derivative with sedative, hypnotic, anticonvulsant, and anesthetic properties. It acts primarily as a positive allosteric modulator of the gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor-chloride ion channel complex, enhancing GABA-mediated inhibitory neurotransmission in the central nervous system. At higher concentrations, it can also directly activate GABAA receptors and block excitatory AMPA glutamate receptors. Originally developed by Eli Lilly and Company in the 1920s, amobarbital sodium has been used for the short-term treatment of insomnia, preanesthetic sedation, and the control of acute convulsive seizures. It is also famously utilized in the intracarotid sodium amobarbital procedure (the Wada test) to determine cerebral language and memory lateralization prior to epilepsy surgery.

Brand names

AmytalAmytal SodiumIsomytalSodium Amytal

Other names

5-ethyl-5-(3-methylbutyl)-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-pyrimidinetrione, monosodium salt5-ethyl-5-isopentylbarbituric acid, sodium saltamobarbital (sodium salt)amobarbital, monosodium saltamylobarbitone sodiumbarbamilbarbamylsodium amobarbitalsodium amylobarbitonesodium amytal