Excitotoxic insult due to ibogaine leads to delayed induction of neuronal NOS in Purkinje cells.
Neuroreport August 21, 1995 E O'Hearn, P Zhang, M E Molliver 77 citations
Ibogaine triggers degeneration of Purkinje cells in the brain, likely by activating inferior olive neurons that release glutamate at climbing fiber terminals. After ibogaine administration, some Purkinje cells begin expressing NADPH-diaphorase and neuronal NOS, enzymes not normally present in these cells. This NOS induction is delayed, dose-related, and occurs in neurons next to degenerated Purkinje cells. The findings show that nNOS induction can follow excitotoxic injury, but nitric oxide is unlikely to be involved in the initial damage. The late induction and spatial pattern suggest NO may play a role in neuronal recovery or delayed cell death after excitotoxic injury.