In vivo: |
Brain Res. 1994 Sep 19;657(1-2):14-22. | Effects of iboga alkaloids on morphine and cocaine self-administration in rats: relationship to tremorigenic effects and to effects on dopamine release in nucleus accumbens and striatum.[Pubmed: 7820611] | Ibogaine, a naturally occurring alkaloid, has been claimed to be effective in treating addiction to opioid and stimulant drugs and has been reported to decrease morphine and cocaine self-administration in rats. The present study sought to determine if other iboga alkaloids, as well as the chemically related harmala alkaloid harmaline, would also reduce the intravenous self-administration of morphine and cocaine in rats. METHODS AND RESULTS: Because both ibogaine and harmaline induce tremors, an effect that may be causally related to neurotoxicity in the cerebellar vermis, the temorigenic activities of the other iboga alkaloids were assessed. Lastly, in view of the involvement of the dopaminergic mesolimbic system in the actions of drugs of abuse, the effects of some of the iboga alkaloids on extracellular levels of dopamine and its metabolites in the nucleus accumbens and striatum were determined. All of the tested alkaloids (i.e., ibogaine, Tabernanthine, R- and S-coronaridine, R- and S-ibogamine, desethylcoronaridine, and harmaline) dose-dependently (2.5-80 mg/kg) decreased morphine and cocaine intake in the hour after treatment; decreases in morphine and cocaine intake intake were also apparent the day after administration of some but not all of these alkaloids (i.e., ibogaine, Tabernanthine, desethylcoronaridine, and the R-isomers of coronaridine and ibogamine). CONCLUSIONS: In some rats, there were persistent decreases in morphine or cocaine intake for several days after a single injection or after two or three weekly injections of one or another of these alkaloids; R-ibogamine produced such effects more consistently than any of the other alkaloids. | Eur J Pharmacol. 1987 Aug 21;140(3):303-9. | Benzodiazepine receptors are involved in tabernanthine-induced tremor: in vitro and in vivo evidence.[Pubmed: 2820763] | Tabernanthine, an indol alkaloid, is structurally related to carbolines (harmane, harmaline) which, in vitro, displace specific flunitrazepam binding to brain benzodiazepine receptors. METHODS AND RESULTS: In vivo, both Tabernanthine and carbolines cause a fine general tremor, suggesting that a possible interaction with benzodiazepine receptors could be involved in the activity of Tabernanthine. This hypothesis was validated by the in vitro and in vivo antagonism of benzodiazepine by Tabernanthine. In vitro, Tabernanthine inhibited specific flunitrazepam binding in a competitive manner with an affinity (IC50 150 microM) in the same range as harmane. Tabernanthine appeared as a benzodiazepine receptor inverse agonist in a discriminant in vitro binding assay. In vivo, the time course of tremorigenic activity was related to the Tabernanthine concentration in brain (half-life = 2 h). Moreover, Tabernanthine-induced tremor was inhibited reversibly by flunitrazepam or by Ro-15 1788 (an antagonist of benzodiazepine-receptors).
CONCLUSIONS:
These results suggest that part of the action of Tabernanthine may be mediated by an interaction at the benzodiazepine receptor level. |
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