Procaine

Procaine is a local anesthetic drug of the amino ester group, which acts through multiple targets.Target: OthersProcaine is a local anesthetic of the ester type that has a slow onset and a short duration of action.Procaine (0.01-100 microM) inhibited the 5-HT3 receptor-mediated inward current in the whole-cell patch clamp recording. Procaine appears to produce a competitive inhibition on 5-HT3 receptors with a KD of 1.7 microM [1]. Procaine is a DNA-demethylating agent that produces a 40% reduction in 5-methylcytosine DNA content as determined by high-performance capillary electrophoresis or total DNA enzyme digestion. Procaine can also demethylate densely hypermethylated CpG islands. Procaine also has growth-inhibitory effects in these cancer cells, causing mitotic arrest [2]. Procaine functions as an excitant of limbic system cells, and that procaine alters synaptic transmission in some, but not all, output pathways from the amygdale [3].

References:
[1]. Fan, P. and F.F. Weight, Procaine impairs the function of 5-HT3 receptor-ion channel complex in rat sensory ganglion neurons. Neuropharmacology, 1994. 33(12): p. 1573-9.
[2]. Villar-Garea, A., et al., Procaine is a DNA-demethylating agent with growth-inhibitory effects in human cancer cells. Cancer Res, 2003. 63(16): p. 4984-9.
[3]. Adamec, R.E. and C. Stark-Adamec, The effects of procaine HCl on population cellular and evoked response activity within the limbic system of the cat. Evidence for differential excitatory action of procaine in a variety of limbic circuits. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, 1987. 11(4): p. 345-64.