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18-Methoxycoronaridine (18-MC) and ibogaine: comparison of antiaddictive efficacy, toxicity, and mechanisms of action.

Stanley D Glick, Isabelle M Maisonneuve, Karen K. Szumlinski

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences September 1, 2000 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2000.tb05211.x (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Preclinical study Peer reviewed
Population Rats
Interventions 18-MC ibogaine
Dose 40 mg/kg
Topics Ibogaine
Keywords Addiction treatment Drug discovery Pharmacology research Safer therapeutics
Citations 89
Key points 18-MC reduces self-administration of multiple drugs of abuse in rats without the toxic effects of ibogaine, suggesting a higher therapeutic index.

Abstract

18-MC, a novel iboga alkaloid congener, is being developed as a potential treatment for multiple forms of drug abuse. Like ibogaine (40 mg/kg), 18-MC (40 mg/kg) decreases the intravenous self-administration of morphine and cocaine and the oral self-administration of ethanol and nicotine in rats; unlike ibogaine, 18-MC does not affect responding for a nondrug reinforcer (water). Both ibogaine and 18-MC ameliorate opioid withdrawal signs. Both ibogaine and 18-MC decrease extracellular levels of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, but only ibogaine increases extracellular levels of serotonin in the nucleus accumbens. Both ibogaine and 18-MC block morphine-induced and nicotine-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens; only ibogaine enhances cocaine-induced increases in accumbal dopamine. Both ibogaine and 18-MC enhance the locomotor and/or stereotypic effects of stimulants. Ibogaine attenuates, but 18-MC potentiates, the acute locomotor effects of morphine; both compounds attenuate morphine-induced locomotion in morphine-experienced rats. Ibogaine produces whole body tremors and, at high doses (> or = 100 mg/kg), cerebellar damage; 18-MC does not produce these effects. Ibogaine, but not 18-MC, decreases heart rate at high doses. While 18-MC and ibogaine have similar affinities for kappa opioid and possibly nicotinic receptors, 18-MC has much lower affinities than ibogaine for NMDA and sigma-2 receptors, sodium channels, and the 5-HT transporter. Both 18-MC and ibogaine are sequestered in fat and, like ibogaine, 18-MC probably has an active metabolite. The data suggest that 18-MC has a narrower spectrum of actions and will have a substantially greater therapeutic index than ibogaine.

Comparable studies

Other preclinical and animal studies on ibogaine, most cited first.

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