Modulation of GABA_A receptors and of GABAergic synapses by the natural alkaloid gelsemine.

ABSTRACT: The Gelsemium elegans plant preparations have shown beneficial activity against common diseases, including chronic pain and anxiety. Nevertheless, their clinical uses are limited by their toxicity. Gelsemine, one of the most abundant alkaloids in the Gelsemium plants, have replicated these therapeutic and toxic actions in experimental behavioral models. However, the molecular targets underlying these biological effects remain unclear. The behavioral activity profile of gelsemine suggests the involvement of GABA_A receptors (GABA_ARs), which are the main biological targets of benzodiazepines (BDZs), a group of drugs with anxiolytic, hypnotic, and analgesic properties. Here, we aim to define the modulation of GABA_ARs by gelsemine, with a special f

SUBMITTER: Marileo AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9887029 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature