Minor alkaloids of tobacco release [ 3H]dopamine from superfused rat striatal slices

• Published in: European journal of pharmacology Vol. 276; no. 1; pp. 195 - 199
• Main Authors: Dwoskin, Linda P., Teng, LiHong, Buxton, Susan T., Ravard, Alain, Deo, Niranjan, Crooks, Peter A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 24-03-1995; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anabaseine; Anabasine; Anabasine - analogs & derivatives; Anabasine - pharmacology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Corpus Striatum - drug effects; Corpus Striatum - metabolism; Dopamine - metabolism; Dopamine release; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; General pharmacology; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Medical sciences; N-Methylanabasine; Nicotine; Nicotine - analogs & derivatives; Nicotine - pharmacology; Nornicotine; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Striatum; Striatum; Dopamine release; N-Methylanabasine; Nornicotine; Anabasine; Anabaseine; Nicotine; Nervous system diseases; Dopamine; Rat; Alzheimer disease; Rodentia; Corpus striatum; Neuroprotective agent; Cerebral disorder; Prevention; Vertebrata; Alkaloid; Chemotherapy; Tobacco; Mammalia; Treatment; Animal; Neuromediator; Central nervous system disease; Plant origin; Degenerative disease; Mechanism of action; Fumes
• ISSN: 0014-2999; 1879-0712
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-2999(95)00077-X

In addition to
S(−)-nicotine, several minor tobacco alkaloids ((±)-nornicotine, anabaseine,
S(−)-anabasine, and
S(−)-
N-methylanabasine) are present in tobacco smoke. This study demonstrates that these alkaloids increase fractional
3H release in a concentration-dependent manner from rat striatal slices preloaded with [
3H]dopamine, with desensitization of this response. The rank order of EC
50 values was
S(−)-nicotine (3.0 ± 2.2 μM) > (±)-nornicotine (6.7 ± 2.1 μM) > anabaseine (15.4 ± 6.1 μM) =
S(−)-
N-methylanabasine (16.3 ± 4.7 μM) =
S(−)-anabasine (19.3 ± 3.2 μM). The alkaloids did not modulate fractional
3H release evoked by electrical-field depolarization. Thus, minor tobacco alkaloids may contribute to the apparent neuroprotective effects of smoking in neurodegenerative diseases.