title: Effects of 18-methoxycoronaridine on acute signs of morphine withdrawal in rats.
abstract: Ibogaine, an alkaloid found in the root bark of the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, has been claimed to interrupt opioid dependence in humans; in animals, it has been shown to inhibit morphine self-administration and to attenuate signs of morphine withdrawal. However, ibogaine has some neurotoxicity, and because of this, efficacious and safer congeners of ibogaine have been sought, 18-Methoxycoronaridine (18-MC), a novel iboga alkaloid congener, has been shown, in animals, to mimic the effects of ibogaine on morphine self-administration without producing any ibogaine-like neurotoxiticity. In the present study, 18-MC was shown to attenuate five of seven signs of morphine withdrawal in rats. The data suggest that 18-MC will ameliorate symptoms of opioid dependence in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience (A-136), Albany Medical College, NY 12208, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rho
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Glick
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007050:Ibogaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009021:Morphine Dependence / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D006213:Hallucinogens; D007050:Ibogaine; C103345:18-methoxycoronaridine