title: Modulation of ion channels in rat neurons by the constituents of Hypericum perforatum.
abstract: Despite almost forty years of widespread use of antidepressant drugs, their mode of action is still unknown. Hyperforin, a phloroglucinol derivative, is a major pharmacologically and therapeutically active constituent of Hypericum perforatum extract that is widely used as an herbal antidepressant drug. However, the mechanism or mechanisms of action of these naturally abundant, non-toxic extracts remain unclear. Enzymatically isolated patch-clamped rat central and peripheral neurons exposed to rapid changes in the composition of external medium (concentration clamp) were used in our experiments to investigate the modulation of the various voltage- and ligand-gated channels by hyperforin, as well as by other constituents of Hypericum perforatum. At nanomolar concentrations, hyperforin induced significant inhibition of various ion channels. In the case of P-type Ca2+ channels, we established that hyperforin acts via interaction with calmodulin or through calmodulin-activated pathways involving at least one second messenger. The results presented here indicate that multiple mechanisms and extract constituents may be involved in the antidepressant action of Hypericum extracts, and that they could also possess neuroprotective and analgesic effects.
authors.affiliation: Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kiev, Ukraine. krishtal@serv.biph.kiev.ua
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Krishtal
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lozovaya
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fisunov
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsintsadze
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pankratov
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kopanitsa
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000378:metabolism; D020865:Calcium Channels, P-Type / Q000378:metabolism; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000378:metabolism; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology; D016244:Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate) / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D020902:Hypericum; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D020867:omega-Agatoxin IVA / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020865:Calcium Channels, P-Type; D002147:Calmodulin; D007473:Ion Channels; D010936:Plant Extracts; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D015222:Sodium Channels; D020867:omega-Agatoxin IVA; D016244:Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); D012964:Sodium; D002118:Calcium