The putative antipsychotic alstonine reverses social interaction withdrawal in mice.
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia are particularly problematic due to their deleterious impact on a patient's social life. The indol alkaloid alstonine, the major component of traditional remedies used for treating mental illnesses in Nigeria, presents a clear antipsychotic-like profile in mice, as well as anxiolytic properties. Considering that social interaction is the core of negative symptoms, and that anxiolytic drugs can improve social interaction behavior, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of alstonine in the social interaction and MK801-induced social withdrawal models in mice. Sub-chronic (but not acute) treatment with alstonine 0.5 mg/kg (but not 1.0 mg/kg) significantly increased social interaction in mice. Moreover, MK801-induced social withdrawal was completely prevented by sulpiride (10 mg/kg) and alstonine 1.0 mg/kg, and partially prevented by alstonine 0.5 mg/kg. The study indicates that alstonine not only increases social interaction in normal mice, but also averts social deficits attributable to negative symptoms of schizophrenia. This study reinforces and complements the antipsychotic-like profile of alstonine, and emphasizes its potential as a drug useful for the management of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
Laboratório de Etnofamacologia, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite 500/202, 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. vivilinck@gmail.com
Viviane
V
de Moura Linck
Ana Paula
AP
Herrmann
Greice Catrine
GC
Goerck
Maurice M
MM
Iwu
Christopher O
CO
Okunji
Mirna Bainy
MB
Leal
Elaine
E
Elisabetsky
D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003024:Clozapine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D046948:Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D013469:Sulpiride / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D046948:Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D013469:Sulpiride; C009244:serpentine (alkaloid); D003024:Clozapine; D006220:Haloperidol