title: Planarians in pharmacology: parthenolide is a specific behavioral antagonist of cocaine in the planarian Girardia tigrina.
abstract: Planarians are traditional animal models in developmental and regeneration biology. Recently, these organisms are arising as vertebrate-relevant animal models in neuropharmacology. Using an adaptation of published behavioral protocols, we have described the alleviation of cocaine-induced planarian seizure-like movements (pSLM) by a naturally-occurring sesquiterpene lactone, parthenolide. Interestingly, parthenolide does not prevent the expression of pSLM induced by amphetamines; in vertebrates, amphetamines interact with the same protein target as cocaine. Parthenolide is also unable to prevent pSLM elicited by the cholinergic com-pounds nicotine and cytisine or by the glutamatergic agents L- or D- glutamic acid or NMDA. Thus, we conclude that parthenolide is a specific anti-cocaine agent in this experimental organism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383, USA. opagan@wcupa.edu
authors.forename: Oné R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Pagán
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deats
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tenaglia
authors.forename: Clinita
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Randolph
authors.forename: Dharini
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kotturu
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tallarida
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: Galia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilk
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rawls
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Raffa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity*; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000633:toxicity; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000633:toxicity; D009538:Nicotine / Q000633:toxicity; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000633:toxicity; D010932:Planarians / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C002669:parthenolide; D008694:Methamphetamine; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D009538:Nicotine; D003042:Cocaine