4-NEMD je potentan sedativni lek koji deluje kao selektivni alfa-2 adrenergičkiagonist. On je blisko srodan sa deksmedetomidinom, ali je nekoliko puta potentniji.[4] Poput drugih alfa-2 agonista, on proizvodi sedativne i mišićno relaksantne efekte, ali ne uzrokuje respiratornu depresiju. On trenutno nema medicinsku primenu, ali je istraživan kao baza za potencijalno novu generaciju alfa-2 agonistnih lekova,[5][6] koji mogu da budu selektivni za različite podtipove alfa-2 receptora.[7] On ima dva izomera, od kojih je (S) izomer potentniji, što je slučaj i sa medetomidinom.[8]
↑Evan E. Bolton, Yanli Wang, Paul A. Thiessen, Stephen H. Bryant (2008). „Chapter 12 PubChem: Integrated Platform of Small Molecules and Biological Activities”. Annual Reports in Computational Chemistry4: 217-241. DOI:10.1016/S1574-1400(08)00012-1.
↑Hong, SS; Romstedt, KJ; Feller, DR; Hsu, FL; Cupps, TL; Lyon, RA; Miller, DD (1994). „A structure-activity relationship study of benzylic modifications of 4-1-(1-naphthyl)ethyl-1H-imidazoles on alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors”. Journal of Medical Chemistry37 (15): 2328–33. DOI:10.1021/jm00041a011. PMID7914537.
↑Zhang, X; Yao, XT; Dalton, JT; Shams, G; Lei, L; Patil, PN; Feller, DR; Hsu, FL i dr.. (1996). „Medetomidine analogs as alpha 2-adrenergic ligands. 2. Design, synthesis, and biological activity of conformationally restricted naphthalene derivatives of medetomidine”. Journal of Medical Chemistry39 (15): 3001–13. DOI:10.1021/jm9506074. PMID8709134.
↑Zhang, X; De Los Angeles, JE; He, MY; Dalton, JT; Shams, G; Lei, L; Patil, PN; Feller, DR i dr.. (1997). „Medetomidine analogs as alpha 2-adrenergic ligands. 3. Synthesis and biological evaluation of a new series of medetomidine analogs and their potential binding interactions with alpha 2-adrenoceptors involving a "methyl pocket"”. Journal of Medical Chemistry40 (19): 3014–24. DOI:10.1021/jm960642q. PMID9301663.
↑Lalchandani, SG; Zhang, X; Hong, SS; Liggett, SB; Li, W; Moore Bm, 2nd; Miller, DD; Feller, DR (2004). „Medetomidine analogs as selective agonists for the human alpha2-adrenoceptors”. Biochemical pharmacology67 (1): 87–96. DOI:10.1016/j.bcp.2003.08.043. PMID14667931.
↑Hong, SS; Romstedt, KJ; Feller, DR; Hsu, FL; George, C; Cupps, TL; Lyon, RA; Miller, DD (1992). „Resolution and adrenergic activities of the optical isomers of 4-1-(1-naphthyl)ethyl-1H-imidazole”. Chirality4 (7): 432–8. DOI:10.1002/chir.530040706. PMID1361151.