Effects of ibogaine and noribogaine on the antinociceptive action of mu-, delta- and kappa-opioid receptor agonists in mice.
Brain research March 28, 1997 H N Bhargava, Y J Cao, G M Zhao 19 citations
Ibogaine, a compound from the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, did not alter pain relief (antinociception) produced by morphine, U-50,488H, or DPDPE in male Swiss-Webster mice when given 10 minutes before these opioids. Ibogaine alone had no effect on pain sensitivity. However, its metabolite noribogaine enhanced morphine's pain-relieving effect at doses of 40 and 80 mg/kg, particularly with a lower morphine dose (5 mg/kg). Noribogaine did not affect pain relief from U-50,488H or DPDPE. The authors conclude that ibogaine's reported ability to reduce drug self-administration likely does not involve direct interaction with multiple opioid receptors, but its metabolite noribogaine may interact with mu-opioid receptors to enhance morphine's effects.