Planta Med 1998; 64(4): 309-313
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-957440
Papers
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Galphimine-B Modifies Electrical Activity of Ventral Tegmental Area Neurons in Rats

Jaime Tortoriello1 , Alfredo Ortega2 , Maribel Herrera-Ruíz3 , Jose Trujillo3 , Cruz Reyes-Vázquez3
  • 1Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Sur, IMSS, Morelos, México
  • 2Instituto de Química, UNAM, México, D.F.
  • 3Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, México, D.F.
Further Information

Publication History

1997

1997

Publication Date:
04 January 2007 (online)

Abstract

Galphimine-B (G-B) is a bioactive compound isolated from the plant Galphimia glauca Cav. (Malpighiaceae) with central nervous system depressant properties previously described. In the present study, extracellular spiking activity records in either somatosensorial cortex or ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons, were performed in rats after i.p. or local administration of G-B. None of the cortical neurons displayed significant changes induced by any of the applied doses. In VTA cells, two patterns of electrical discharge were recorded, bursting (57%) and nonbursting (43%) types. Systemic administration of G-B induced excitatory effects in neurons with a bursting firing pattern and mixed responses on nonbursting units. When this compound was applied locally by microiontophoresis, most of the bursting and nonbursting spiking neurons showed a firing depression and only a few of the nonbursting neurons showed an increment of discharge frequency. These results are important since VTA is a major dopaminergic center responsible for the innervation of the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens and entorhinal region. These areas are targets for the action of antipsychotic drugs.