100 years of ibogaine: neurochemical and pharmacological actions of a putative anti-addictive drug.
Pharmacological Reviews June 1, 1995 P Popik, R T Layer, P Skolnick 185 citations
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P Popik
Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland. nfpopik@cyf-kr.edu.pl
4 papers in the library · 343 citations · publishing 1994-1996
Papers
The putative anti-addictive drug ibogaine is a competitive inhibitor of [3H]MK-801 binding to the NMDA receptor complex.
Psychopharmacology May 1, 1994 P Popik, R T Layer, P Skolnick 92 citations
Ibogaine, a potential treatment for addiction to opiates, stimulants, and alcohol, acts as a competitive inhibitor of NMDA receptor coupled cation channels, binding to the same site as MK-801. This suggests that ibogaine's ability to reduce drug-seeking behavior in humans may stem from blocking these channels, similar to how MK-801 prevents tolerance to morphine and alcohol and reduces sensitization to stimulants in animal studies.
Structurally modified ibogaine analogs exhibit differing affinities for NMDA receptors.
European journal of pharmacology August 8, 1996 R T Layer, P Skolnick, C M Bertha et al. 48 citations
Ibogaine, a psychoactive alkaloid, is more potent than its analogs at blocking NMDA receptors, a brain target linked to addiction. In lab tests, ibogaine inhibited [3H]MK-801 binding to NMDA receptors most strongly (Ki ≈ 1.2 µM), while similar compounds like O-desmethylibogaine were less potent (Ki ≈ 5.5 µM) and O-t-butyl-O-desmethylibogaine much weaker (Ki ≈ 179 µM). In morphine-dependent mice, only ibogaine reduced withdrawal jumping triggered by naloxone, suggesting its anti-addictive effects stem from NMDA receptor antagonism.
Facilitation of memory retrieval by the "anti-addictive" alkaloid, ibogaine.
Life sciences January 1, 1996 P Popik 18 citations
Ibogaine, an indole alkaloid, may help treat addiction by facilitating access to past experiences. In rats trained on the Morris maze spatial navigation task, ibogaine (0.25 or 2.5 mg/kg) and O-desmethyl-ibogaine (2.5 mg/kg), but not t-Butyl ibogaine, improved spatial memory retrieval compared to placebo. The authors conclude that while ibogaine's NMDA receptor antagonism may contribute to its effects, facilitation of memory retrieval could also play a role in its anti-addictive properties.