xylometazoline brands

Molecular formula: C16H24N2

Nasal congestion is caused by various etiologies, such as rhinosinusitis and allergic or non-allergic rhinitis, leading to congestion of the venous sinusoids lining the nasal mucosa. Activation of α-adrenergic receptors leads to vasoconstriction of the blood vessels of the nasal mucosa and resumption of nasal airflow. As the most abundantly expressed in the human nasal mucosa, α_1A- and α_2B-adrenoceptors may play the most important role in vasoconstriction of the human nasal mucosa. Xylometazoline is a more selective agonist at α_2B-adrenoceptors, with affinity at α_1A-, α_2A-, α_2C-, α_1B-, and α_1D-adrenoceptors. Xylometazoline decreases nasal resistance during inspiration and expiration and increases the volume of nasal airflow. Compared to [oxymetazoline], another imidazoline nasal decongestant, xylometazoline had a slightly faster onset of action although they had a similar duration of action. In one study, subjects with nasal congestion reported relief of earache and sore throat in addition to nasal decongestion: it is speculated that oxymetazoline mediates this effect by causing vasoconstriction of the nasal mucosa that contains the venous sinuses and nasal decongestion allows breathing through the nose, providing relief from sore throat caused by mouth breathing that dries and irritates the throat.

Source: PubChem (NCBI) · compound 5709