Dopaminergic unique affinity of tetrahydroberberine and l-tetrahydroberberine-d-camphor sulfonate

Tetrahydroberberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from corydalis tuber, enhances gastrointestinal motor function

Because delayed gastric emptying and impaired gastric accommodation are regarded as pathophysiological mechanisms underlying functional dyspepsia (FD), prokinetics and fundic relaxants have been suggested as a new treatment for FD. We isolated tetrahydroberberine (THB), an isoquinoline alkaloid (5,8,13,13a-tetrahydro-9,10-dimethoxy-6H-benzo[g]-1,3-benzodioxolo[5,6-a]quinolizine) from Corydalis tuber, and found that it has micromolar affinity for dopamine D(2) (pK(i) = 6.08) and 5-HT(1A) (pK(i) = 5.38) receptors but moderate to no affinity for other relevant serotonin receptors (i.e., 5-HT(1B), 5-HT(1D), 5-HT(3), and 5-HT(4); pK(i) < 5.00). Oral administration of THB not only resulted in significantly accelerated gastric emptying of normal rats in a bell-shaped relationship, with a maximal efficacy at a dose of 30 μg/kg, but also restored the delayed gastric emptying caused by apomorphine, which might be mediated by an antidopaminergic effect. Data from electromyography indicated enhanced motor function of the upper gastrointestinal tract by THB, which occurred through strengthening contractility and shortening the contraction interval. Furthermore, in rats stressed by repeated restraint, a significantly higher shift in the pressure-volume curve by THB (10 μg/kg, p < 0.05), which was inhibited by [O-methyl-3H]-N-(2-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl)ethyl)-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide trihydrochloride (WAY-100635), a 5-HT(1A) antagonist, and N(ω)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, a nitric-oxide synthase inhibitor but not a vasoactive intestinal peptide antagonist, was observed. Oral administration of THB resulted in a drastic increase of gastric accommodation in Beagle dogs. Area under the volume versus time curve was increased significantly by THB (30 μg/kg, p < 0.01) and comparable with that of sumatriptan (3 mg/kg), a potent fundic relaxant. Taken together, our data suggested that THB, with D(2) receptor antagonist and 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist properties, has significant potential as a therapeutic for treatment of FD.

Influence of berberine on T-cell mediated immunity

The protoberberine alkaloid berberine is isolated as a main alkaloid from the roots and bark of Berberis vulgaris. Berberine strongly inhibited in vitro the proliferative response of mouse spleen cells to T-dependent mitogens concanavalin A (Con A) and phytochemagglutinin (PHA). Spleen cells obtained from berberine-treated mice (10 mg/kg/3 days) expressed enhanced proliferative response to both mitogens. Berberine was applied to mice at different intervals before or after the induction of adjuvant arthritis (AIA) and Candida albicans (C. albicans) infection. The application of the alkaloid to new born mice (5 days after birth at a dose of 5 mg/kg/3 days) did not change the course of AIA and C. albicans infection. Its application at three 10 day intervals (5 mg/kg), starting from the 5 day after birth increased the joint inflammation in AIA. The host resistance to C. albicans infection was not affected, while the delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH)-reaction against the pathogen was enhanced. The alkaloid inhibited the development of AIA when applied after its onset (10 mg/kg from day +3 to +12 day). Berberine treatment during the ongoing infection did not influence its outcome (from +2 to +10 day).

Tetrahydroberberine blocks membrane K+ channels underlying its inhibition of intracellular message-mediated outward currents in acutely dissociated CA1 neurons from rat hippocampus

In the patch-clamp perforated whole-cell recording mode, tetrahydroberberine (THB), a novel dopamine (DA) receptor antagonist, inhibits not only DA-induced outward K+ currents, but also acetylcholine-, caffeine- or strychnine-induced outward current. However, THB does not affect either GABA- or glycine-induced Cl- currents, or non-NMDA receptor agonist-induced cation currents. As expected for a K+ channel blocker, THB evokes a downward current deflection accompanied by a decrease of conductance. It is concluded that the direct blockade of membrane K+ channels by THB underlies its inhibition of intracellular message-mediated outward currents.

Tetrahydroberberine inhibits acetylcholine-induced K+ current in acutely dissociated rat hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons

The effects of a novel chemical type of dopamine receptor antagonist, the tetrahydroprotoberberine analogs (THPBs), on acetylcholine (ACh)-induced current were studied in freshly dissociated pyramidal neurons from rat hippocampal CA1 area using the nystatin perforated patch-clamp recording technique. Under voltage clamp conditions, the ACh-induced outward current (IACh) is sensitive to the muscarinic receptor antagonist, atropine and the K+ channel blocker, TEA. The reversal potential of IACh (-84.1 +/- 0.8 mV) is close to the K+ equilibrium potential, indicating that the IACh is mediated by a muscarinic receptor, and is carried mainly by K+. Tetrahydroberberine (THB) markedly reduced the IACh while its chemical analogs, l-stepholidine (l-SPD) or l-tetrahydropalmatine (l-THP), had little effect on the IACh. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of THB was 1.3 x 10(-5) M for a 10(-5) M ACh-induced IACh. THB suppressed the maximum of the ACh concentration-response curve without shifting the Hill coefficient, indicating a non-competitive inhibition. It is concluded that THB non-competitively inhibits the ACh-induced K+ current in a concentration-dependent manner, and that this inhibitory effect provides further evidence that THB plays its pharmacological roles in the central nervous system by effects other than through blockade of dopamine receptors.

Tetrahydroberberine suppresses dopamine-induced potassium current in acutely dissociated CA1 pyramidal neurons from rat hippocampus

Effects of tetrahydroberberine (THB) on dopamine (DA)-induced response have been investigated in single pyramidal neurons freshly dissociated from CA1 area of the hippocampus using the nystatin perforated patch-clamp, whole-cell recording technique under voltage-clamp configuration. At a holding potential (VH) of -20mV, DA-induced responses included a transient outward current, a slow inward current and a combination of the two. The outward current had a reversal potential of -83.5 +/- 8.0 mV which was close to K+ equilibrium potential and was sensitive to TEA, suggesting that this outward current was carried by K+. Application of THB reversibly suppressed three type responses induced by DA with different degrees of inhibitory ratio. THB inhibited the DA-induced outward current in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 of 13 microM. The maximal value of the concentration-response curve for DA-induced outward current was suppressed by THB, suggesting a non-competitive inhibition. The results support the hypothesis that THB acts as a novel dopaminergic system antagonist. Furthermore, THB inhibits the DA-induced K+ current non-competitively in single dissociated cells, implying that THB may exhibit other pharmacological action on the central nervous system.

Opioid receptor interaction and adenylyl cyclase inhibition of dihydroetorphine: direct comparison with etorphine

To find out the reason of weak addiction property of dihydroetorphine, we compared the affinities of dihydroetorphine to the type selective opioid receptor and inhibition effect on the adenylyl cyclase activity with those of etorphine. Dihydroetorphine and etorphine have almost the same binding affinities to all types (mu, delta, and kappa) of opioid receptors and antagonist binding sites, and have similar inhibition activities to forskolin stimulated adenylyl cyclase. However, dihydroetorphine showed significantly smaller value of DTNB-index compared with that of etorphine. This differentiation may explain partly the high analgesic with low dependence properties of dihydroetorphine.