Mecamylamine is a noncompetitive nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist with preferential activity at the α3β4 subtype (IC50 = 90-640 nM) compared to α4β2, α3β2, and α7 subtypes (IC50s range from 1-7 μM). Mecamylamine is widely used as a broad-spectrum antagonist of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in basic nicotine research. It has been reported to be effective as an aid to smoking cessation and may also be of use in various nicotine-responsive, neuropsychiatric disorders.
