Biomaterial Database

Bicuculline-induced epileptiform activity in rat hippocampal slices: suppression by Aconitum alkaloids. 1997

A Ameri, and J Gleitz, and T Peters

Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology of Natural Compounds, University of Ulm, Germany.

Alkaloids of Aconitum spec. (Ranunculaceae) are employed in traditional Chinese folk medicine as analgesics. The present study was designed in order to investigate the effects of the structurally related alkaloids aconitine, lappaconitine, and 6-benzoylheteratisine on experimentally induced epileptiform activity. Experiments were performed as extracellular recordings of stimulus evoked population spikes in rat hippocampal slices. Epileptiform activity was induced by bicuculline. All three alkaloids exerted an inhibitory action on excitability of hippocampal pyramidal cells in a frequency-dependent manner. The onset of inhibition was accelerated by increasing the frequency of electrical stimulation. Aconitine (1 microM) evoked a complete suppression of both normal and epileptiform activity, whereas lappaconitine (10 microM) and 6-benzoylheteratisine (10 microM) selectively diminished the epileptiform afterdischarges and the duration of the bursts, but spared the normal activity. The present findings suggest that the structurally related Aconitum alkaloids aconitine, lappaconitine, and 6-benzoylheteratisine possess an anticonvulsive potential. The predominant effect of these alkaloids is to suppress the spread of seizure activity, and they may therefore tend to distort epileptic events. However, despite their similar structure, they exert qualitatively and quantitatively different inhibitory effects.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008516	Medicine, Chinese Traditional	A system of traditional medicine which is based on the beliefs and practices of the Chinese culture.	Chinese Medicine, Traditional,Chung I Hsueh,Traditional Medicine, Chinese,Zhong Yi Xue,Chinese Traditional Medicine,Traditional Chinese Medicine,Traditional Tongue Assessment,Traditional Tongue Diagnosis,Hsueh, Chung I,Tongue Assessment, Traditional,Tongue Diagnoses, Traditional,Tongue Diagnosis, Traditional,Traditional Tongue Assessments,Traditional Tongue Diagnoses
D010946	Plants, Medicinal	Plants whose roots, leaves, seeds, bark, or other constituent parts possess therapeutic, tonic, purgative, curative or other pharmacologic attributes, when administered to man or animals.	Herbs, Medicinal,Medicinal Herbs,Healing Plants,Medicinal Plants,Pharmaceutical Plants,Healing Plant,Herb, Medicinal,Medicinal Herb,Medicinal Plant,Pharmaceutical Plant,Plant, Healing,Plant, Medicinal,Plant, Pharmaceutical,Plants, Healing,Plants, Pharmaceutical
D004827	Epilepsy	A disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of paroxysmal brain dysfunction due to a sudden, disorderly, and excessive neuronal discharge. Epilepsy classification systems are generally based upon: (1) clinical features of the seizure episodes (e.g., motor seizure), (2) etiology (e.g., post-traumatic), (3) anatomic site of seizure origin (e.g., frontal lobe seizure), (4) tendency to spread to other structures in the brain, and (5) temporal patterns (e.g., nocturnal epilepsy). (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p313)	Aura,Awakening Epilepsy,Seizure Disorder,Epilepsy, Cryptogenic,Auras,Cryptogenic Epilepsies,Cryptogenic Epilepsy,Epilepsies,Epilepsies, Cryptogenic,Epilepsy, Awakening,Seizure Disorders
D006624	Hippocampus	A curved elevation of GRAY MATTER extending the entire length of the floor of the TEMPORAL HORN of the LATERAL VENTRICLE (see also TEMPORAL LOBE). The hippocampus proper, subiculum, and DENTATE GYRUS constitute the hippocampal formation. Sometimes authors include the ENTORHINAL CORTEX in the hippocampal formation.	Ammon Horn,Cornu Ammonis,Hippocampal Formation,Subiculum,Ammon's Horn,Hippocampus Proper,Ammons Horn,Formation, Hippocampal,Formations, Hippocampal,Hippocampal Formations,Hippocampus Propers,Horn, Ammon,Horn, Ammon's,Proper, Hippocampus,Propers, Hippocampus,Subiculums
D000157	Aconitine	A C19 norditerpenoid alkaloid (DITERPENES) from the root of ACONITUM; DELPHINIUM and larkspurs. It activates VOLTAGE-GATED SODIUM CHANNELS. It has been used to induce ARRHYTHMIAS in experimental animals and it has anti-inflammatory and anti-neuralgic properties.	Acetylbenzoylaconine,Aconitane-3,8,13,14,15-pentol, 20-ethyl-1,6,16-trimethoxy-4-(methoxymethyl)-, 8-acetate 14-benzoate, (1alpha,3alpha,6alpha,14alpha,15alpha,16beta)-,Acetylbenzoyl-aconine,Acetylbenzoyl aconine
D000470	Alkaloids	Organic nitrogenous bases. Many alkaloids of medical importance occur in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, and some have been synthesized. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)	Alkaloid,Plant Alkaloid,Plant Alkaloids,Alkaloid, Plant,Alkaloids, Plant
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001640	Bicuculline	An isoquinoline alkaloid obtained from Dicentra cucullaria and other plants. It is a competitive antagonist for GABA-A receptors.	6-(5,6,7,8-Tetrahydro-6-methyl-1,3-dioxolo(4,5-g)isoquinolin-5-yl)furo(3,4-e)1,3-benzodioxol-8(6H)one
D017208	Rats, Wistar	A strain of albino rat developed at the Wistar Institute that has spread widely at other institutions. This has markedly diluted the original strain.	Wistar Rat,Rat, Wistar,Wistar Rats