Effects of 18-methoxycoronaridine on acute signs of morphine withdrawal in rats.

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Ibogaine, an alkaloid found in the root bark of the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, has been claimed to interrupt opioid dependence in humans; in animals, it has been shown to inhibit morphine self-administration and to attenuate signs of morphine withdrawal. However, ibogaine has some neurotoxicity, and because of this, efficacious and safer congeners of ibogaine have been sought, 18-Methoxycoronaridine (18-MC), a novel iboga alkaloid congener, has been shown, in animals, to mimic the effects of ibogaine on morphine self-administration without producing any ibogaine-like neurotoxiticity. In the present study, 18-MC was shown to attenuate five of seven signs of morphine withdrawal in rats. The data suggest that 18-MC will ameliorate symptoms of opioid dependence in humans.