Effects of 18-methoxycoronaridine on acute signs of morphine withdrawal in rats.
Neuroreport May 11, 1998 B Rho, S D Glick 35 citations
Ibogaine, a natural alkaloid from the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, can interrupt opioid dependence in humans and reduce morphine self-administration and withdrawal signs in animals, but it has neurotoxicity. A safer synthetic congener, 18-Methoxycoronaridine (18-MC), mimics ibogaine's effects on morphine self-administration in animals without neurotoxicity. In this study, 18-MC attenuated five of seven signs of morphine withdrawal in rats. The data suggest that 18-MC will ameliorate symptoms of opioid dependence in humans.