Current Medicinal Chemistry - Central Nervous System Agents - Volume 1, Issue 2, 2001

Ibogaine (1a), one of the psychoactive indole alkaloids found in the root bark of the West African shrub, Tabernanthe iboga, has purported efficacy in treating multiple forms of drug abuse. A single oral treatment with ibogaine or its salts, in the doses of 6 to 19 mg / kg, or a series of four treatments may, respectively, eliminate addictive behavior for up to 6 months or three yearsIn rats, ibogaine (40 mg / kg) decreases int Read More

Combinatorial library approaches combining organic synthesis and molecular biology have made promising developments in the discovery of new ligands and antagonists binding to proteins that participate in dysfunction and disease. The peptide and oligonucleotide sequences, referred to as aptamers (latin= to fit) are evolved from random libraries and bind proteins such as neurotransmitter receptors and a transporter with Read More

Since the discovery of the opioid receptors and their endogenous ligands, it has been widely recognized that endogenous opioid peptides produce a large spectrum of central and peripheral effects which include spinal and supraspinal analgesia, dependence, effects on gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions, cardiovascular and immunological responses, respiratory depression, and are also involved in neurological disorders. Read More

Recent advances in the study of the catalytic properties of acetylcholinesterases have been reviewed. The main biological function of this enzyme is the fast termination of impulse transmission at cholinegric synapses by rapid hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Acetylcholinesterase has been often characterized as a perfect enzyme because its catalytic properties have been tuned to the highest possible limit. Howev Read More

Serotonin (5-HT), a neurotransmitter and a neuromodulator, plays an important role in physiological functions and in many pathological conditions. The actions of 5-HT are mediated by a variety of 5-HT receptors, which are distributed extensively in the central nervous system and certain peripheral tissues. A class of drugs which specifically antagonizes the 5-HT type 3 receptor (5-HT3) now occupy an important place in th Read More