Antianginal effects of chromonar. A combined investigation

The chemistry and pharmacology of alkaloids and allied nitrogen compounds from Artemisia species: A review

Several reviews have been published on Artemisia's derived natural products, but it is the first attempt to review the chemistry and pharmacology of more than 80 alkaloids and allied nitrogen compounds obtained from various Artemisia species (covering the literature up to June 2018). The pharmacological potential and unique skeleton types of certain Artemisia's alkaloids provoke the importance of analyzing Artemisia species for bioactive alkaloids and allied nitrogen compounds. Among the various types of bioactive Artemisia's alkaloids, the main classes were the derivatives of rupestine (pyridine-sesquiterpene), lycoctonine (diterpene), pyrrolizidine, purines, polyamine, peptides, indole, piperidine, pyrrolidine, alkamides, and flavoalkaloids. The rupestine derivatives are Artemisia's characteristic alkaloids, whereas the rest are common alkaloids found in the family Asteraceae and chemotaxonomically links the genus Artemisia with the tribes Anthemideae. The most important biological activities of Artemisia's alkaloids are including hepatoprotective, local anesthetic, β-galactosidase, and antiparasitic activities; treatment of angina pectoris, opening blocked arteries, as a sleep-inducing agents and inhibition of HIV viral protease, CYP450, melanin biosynthesis, human carbonic anhydrase, [3H]-AEA metabolism, kinases, and DNA polymerase β¹ . Some of the important nitrogen metabolites of Artemisia include pellitorine, zeatin, tryptophan, rupestine, and aconitine analogs, which need to be optimized and commercialized further.

Treatment of haemodynamic and electrocardiographic side-effects resulting from imipramine toxicity in rats and dogs

This study was designed to analyze the effects of carbocromene and dipyridamole on the haemodynamic and electrocardiographic side-effects resulting from imipramine infusion in anaesthetised rats and dogs. Imipramine was infused at 1 mg/kg/min until cardiac failure and vascular collapse terminated the experiment at 21 +/- 2.3 min in rats and at 29.5 +/- 2.1 min in dogs. This was characterized by hypotension, bradycardia, intraventricular conduction delay, cardiac tachyarrhythmia and A-V block. Carbocromene (4 mg/kg i.v., followed by 80 micrograms/kg/min) protected the animals against heart failure. This was associated with delayed hypotension and negative inotropy, and lower incidence of heart block. Survival time increased to 37 +/- 1.5 min (P less than 0.05), and 54.2 +/- 2.6 min (P less than 0.02) in rats and dogs, respectively. Dipyridamole (0.5 mg/kg i.v., followed by 80 micrograms/kg/min) failed to decrease imipramine toxicity as judged by the haemodynamic and electrocardiographic parameters and did not alter survival time of imipramine controls. These results suggest that carbocromene is an effective treatment for imipramine-induced cardiovascular collapse and cardiac arrhythmias, the beneficial effects being largely due to metabolic and membrane stabilizing effects. Carbocromene has both therapeutic and prophylactic value and appears to be superior to dipyridamole therapy.

The cardiodynamic and metabolic effects of carbochromen and propranolol on the isolated dog heart

In the isolated canine heart-lung preparation modified to measure coronary outflow and myocardial oxygen consumption, an infusion of carbochromen of 1 mg/min produced an increase in coronary outflow of 120.0% and a decrease in myocardial oxygen consumption of 11.0% at a cumulative dose of 28.0 +/- 3.8 mg, resulting in an increase in efficiency of 22.4%. At a total dose of 40 mg, the corresponding figures were +181.0%, -15.0% and +38.0% respectively. No change in heart rate was observed. An infusion of propranolol of 1 mg/min, on the other hand, was characterized by decreases in myocardial contractility and heart rate starting with cumulative doses of 20 mg and 40 mg respectively. At a cumulative dose of 62.9 +/- 3.0 mg a marked degree of myocardial failure occurred (peak failure) characterized by a decrease in cardiac output (-53.3%), dp/dt (-50.8%), heart rate (-18.5%) and myocardial oxygen consumption (-25.5%). In a separate series exposed to the same infusion of propranolol but in which the decrease in heart rate was prevented by pacing, identical changes were observed except that myocardial oxygen consumption decreased only by 7.7%. It may be concluded from this study that carbochromen, in confirmation of reports by other investigators, increases coronary outflow markedly. Carbochromen decreases myocardial oxygen consumption by a direct effect on myocardial metabolism as is evident from the fact that this decrease is not accompanied by changes in any of the parameters which are known to influence myocardial oxygen consumption such as heart rate. Propranolol has no effect on myocardial oxygen consumption unless it is given in a dose which produces myocardial failure and a decrease in heart rate. The decrease in heart rate following propranolol bears a close relationship to the decrease in myocardial oxygen consumption.

Effect of carbocromen induced coronary vasodilatation on myocardial metabolism in coronary artery disease

Myocardial metabolism was studied during coronary vasodilatation by carbocromen during atrial pacing in patients with coronary arteriosclerotic disease. Coronary sinus flow was measured by the continuous infusion thermodilution technique. Carbocromen increased myocardial flow by the same amount at rest and during pacing-induced tachycardia. The administration of carbocromen did not interfere with myocardial oxygen consumption, free fatty acid (FFA) uptake, pulmonary or systemic hemodynamics. Atrial pacing above the anginal threshold increased lactate and hypoxanthine excretion to the coronary sinus, but to a greater extent during carbocromen treatment. Thus, carbocromen is a specific coronary vasodilator acting independently of pacing induced vasodilatation. Metabolic data indicate a small but unfavourable effect on ischemic metabolism which might be due to a "coronary steal".