Effects of various isoquinoline alkaloids on in vitro 3H-dopamine uptake by rat striatal synaptosomes.

Various alkaloids having an isoquinoline skeleton from different species of the Annonaceae, Fumariacae, and Aristolochiacae (aporphine, cularine, benzylisoquinoline, and bisbenzylisoquinoline derivatives) were tested for their ability to inhibit in vitro 3H-dopamine uptake by rat striatal dopamine D1 3H-SCH 23390 AND D2 3H-raclopride binding sites. Except for some aporphine derivatives (anonaine [1], norstephalagine [2], isopiline [3]) and some bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids (dimethylgrisabine [27], antioquine [28], obaberine [29], isotetrandrine [30]) that displayed affinities of the same order as the reference compounds (nomifensine [38], amineptine [39], dexamphetamine [40]), the other tested products had low, or no, affinity on the 3H-dopamine uptake since, in comparison, its affinity at dopamine D1 3H-SCH 23390 and D2 3H-raclopride binding sites was low. These data suggest that it could be possible to synthesize anonaine-like products displaying intense dopamine-uptake inhibitory properties, which could lead to a potential antidepressant activity.