ABSTRACT
Although recently developed drugs have brought significant improvement, the treatment of psychotic disorders still presents serious drawbacks. Since inherent complexity and lack of satisfactory understanding of the underlying pathophysiology impose limits for rational drug design, resourceful approaches in the search for antipsychotics are pertinent. This paper reports pharmacological properties of alstonine, a heteroyohimbine type alkaloid, Which exbitited an antipsychotic-like profile, inhibiting amphetamine-induced lethaly, apomorphine-induced steotypy and potentiating barbiturate-induced slleping time. Atypical features of alstonine were the prevention of haloperidol-induced catalepsy and lack of direct interaction with D1, D2 and 5-HT2A receptors, classically linked to antipsychotic mechanism of action.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Mice , Antipsychotic Agents/pharmacology , Plants, Medicinal , Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids/pharmacology , Amphetamine/antagonists & inhibitors , Apomorphine/antagonists & inhibitors , Barbiturates/antagonists & inhibitors , Central Nervous System Stimulants/antagonists & inhibitors , Chlorpromazine/pharmacology , Clozapine/pharmacology , Diazepam/pharmacology , Emetics/antagonists & inhibitors , Haloperidol/pharmacology , Hypnotics and Sedatives/antagonists & inhibitors , Nigeria , Pentobarbital/pharmacology , Reserpine/pharmacology , Sleep/drug effects , Stereotyping , Sulpiride/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Se realizaron estudios farmacológicos preliminares de las decocciones y los extractos de raíces de dos especies de Rauwolfia salicifolia y la Rauwolfia caffra Sond, comparando sus efectos hipotensores con el de la Rauwolfia serpentina empleada en la clínica por su contenido en reserpina. Se muestra el efecto de estas Rauwolfias sobre el aparato cardiovascular, mediante el empleo de diversas técnicas, y se observa un efecto hipotensor en los alcaloides totales de raíces de Rauwolfia caffra Sond y en las decocciones de la Rauwolfia salicifolia