title: The alkaloid 6-benzoylheteratisine inhibits voltage-gated Na+ channels in rat brain synaptosomes.
abstract: The effects of the Aconitum alkaloid 6-benzoylheteratisine on the aconitine-, veratridine-, oubain- and KCl-induced alterations in free synaptosomal Na + ([Na+]i) and Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and the release of endogenous glutamate from rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes were investigated. [Na+]i and [Ca2+]i were fluorometrically determined employing SBFI and Fura-2 as the Na+ and Ca2+ sensitive dyes, respectively. Glutamate was detected by a continuous enzyme-linked fluorometric assay. The study revealed a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect of 6-benzoylheteratisine on aconitine-induced increases in [Na+]i, [Ca2+]i and the release of glutamate. The IC50 values were 4.1 microM (Na+), 4.8 microM (Ca2+) and 4.8 microM (glutamate release). Application of 100 microM 6-benzoylheteratisine after stimulation with 5 microM veratridine also reduced the induced [Na+]i and [Ca2+]i with half-lives of 72.1 and 44.7 s, respectively. Furthermore, 100 microM 6-benzoylheteratisine reduced the ouabain-induced Na+ influx to the same extent as the Na+ channel inhibitor tetrodotoxin, which points to an inhibition of non-activated Na+ channels by 6-benzoylheteratisine. Additionally, 100 microM 6-benzoylheteratisine failed to affect the release of glutamate and the increase in [Ca2+]i induced by 30 mM KCl, indicating that voltage-gated Ca2+ channels were not affected by 6-benzoylheteratisine. The data suggest an inhibitory effect of 6-benzoylheteratisine on voltage-gated Na+ channels as the only target, whereas mechanisms of Na+ and Ca2+ homoeostasis and pathways of glutamate release seem not to be affected by the drug.
authors.affiliation: University Clinics Ulm, Institute of Naturheilkunde, Germany. ulrike.gutser@medizin.uni-ulm.de.
authors.forename: U T
authors.initials: UT
authors.lastname: Gutser
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gleitz
mesh_terms: D000157:Aconitine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000470:Alkaloids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010042:Ouabain / Q000494:pharmacology; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects*; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014701:Veratridine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D015222:Sodium Channels; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D010042:Ouabain; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D014701:Veratridine; C104702:6-benzoylheteratisine; D012964:Sodium; D002118:Calcium; D000157:Aconitine