Effect of vinpocetine on retrograde axoplasmic transport.
Vinpocetine, a derivate of vincamine, is widely used in the clinical pharmacotherapy of cerebral circulatory diseases. Herewith we report on a novel effect of vinpocetine: inhibition of retrograde axoplasmic transport of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the peripheral nerve. Blockade of retrograde transport of NGF results in transganglionic degenerative atrophy (TDA) in the segmentally related ipsilateral superficial spinal dorsal horn, which is characterized by depletion of the marker enzymes fluoride-resistant acid phosphatase (FRAP) and thiamine monophosphatase (TMP). At the same time, pain-related neuropeptides such as substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), are depleted from lamina I-III from the segmentally related, ipsitateral Rolando substance of the spinal cord. On the basis of these experiments it is suggested that vinpocetine may result in a locally restricted decrease of nociception, that might be useful in clinical treatment of intractable pain. Pilot self-experiments support this assumption.
Knyihar-Csillik
Elizabeth
E
Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Gyorgyi University Medical School, Szeged, Hungary.
Vecsei
Laszlo
L
Mihaly
Andras
A
Fenyo
Robert
R
Farkas
Ibolya
I
Krisztin-Peva
Beata
B
Csillik
Bertalan
B
D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport / Q000187:drug effects*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis; D014748:Vinca Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D014748:Vinca Alkaloids; D013373:Substance P; C013983:vinpocetine