title: Effects of Chelidonium majus extracts and major alkaloids on hERG potassium channels and on dog cardiac action potential - a safety approach.
abstract: Chelidonium majus or greater celandine is spread throughout the world, and it is a very common and frequent component of modern phytotherapy. Although C. majus contains alkaloids with remarkable physiological effect, moreover, safety pharmacology properties of this plant are not widely clarified, medications prepared from this plant are often used internally. In our study the inhibitory effects of C. majus herb extracts and alkaloids on hERG potassium current as well as on cardiac action potential were investigated. Our data show that hydroalcoholic extracts of greater celandine and its alkaloids, especially berberine, chelidonine and sanguinarine have a significant hERG potassium channel blocking effect. These extracts and alkaloids also prolong the cardiac action potential in dog ventricular muscle. Therefore these compounds may consequently delay cardiac repolarization, which may result in the prolongation of the QT interval and increase the risk of potentially fatal ventricular arrhythmias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 12, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary; Rytmion Ltd., Benczúr u. 39, H-6727 Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Péter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Orvos
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 12, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Virág
authors.affiliation: Rytmion Ltd., Benczúr u. 39, H-6727 Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tálosi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Szeged, Faculty of Pharmacy, Eötvös u. 6, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zsuzsanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hajdú
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Szeged, Faculty of Pharmacy, Eötvös u. 6, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Dezső
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Csupor
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Szeged, Faculty of Pharmacy, Eötvös u. 6, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Nikoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jedlinszki
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 12, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Szél
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 12, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary; MTA-SZTE Cardiovascular Pharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Dóm tér 12, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varró
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Szeged, Faculty of Pharmacy, Eötvös u. 6, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary. Electronic address: hohmann@pharm.u-szeged.hu.
authors.forename: Judit
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hohmann
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects*; D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D028281:Chelidonium / Q000737:chemistry*; D004285:Dogs; D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D005260:Female; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Arrhythmia; Berberine (PubChem CID: 2353); Cardiac action potential; Chelerythrine (PubChem CID: 2703); Chelidonine (PubChem CID: 10147); Chelidonium majus; Coptisine (PubChem CID: 72322); Greater celandine; QT interval; Sanguinarine (PubChem CID: 5154); hERG