Abstract:
Clonidine (CLO) has become popular in fields other than treatment of arterial hypertension. Transdermal (TD) CLO and oral CLO have comparable pharmacodynamics and therapeutic efficacy; the TD form has a reduced frequency of adverse effects. In patients with emesis, pain, gastrointestinal disorders, cognitive impairment, and dysphagia, TD drug delivery is the pharmacokinetic solution. CLO, within the “therapeutic range” of plasma concentration, is an agonist of alpha-2 adrenoreceptors (ATARs). The network of these receptors functions as an adaptive system, a vital link between the sympathoadrenergic system and multiple organs and systems. CLO activates this ATAR network and triggers transformations in cellular biology and in function of organs and systems. These reactions and responses increase resistance to stress/damage and protect the homeostasis. CLO enhances the adaptive response and is, therefore, an adaptogen. CLO and currently recognized phytoadaptogens cause similar changes in cellular signaling. CLO therapy is described by a new CLO-ATAR-adaptation concept. CLO therapy works within the ATAR network territory and makes adaptive sense. This concept explains successes of CLO therapy in diverse fields and its failures. It is ground for a prognosis on emerging therapeutic potential of TD CLO.
Acknowledgments
The author is grateful to librarians Arpita Bose and Yvette Walton for their kind assistance.
Disclosure
The author reports no conflicts of interest in this work.