Synthesis and biological evaluation of lycoctonine derivatives with cardiotonic and calcium channels inhibitory activities

In our previous study, a screening of a variety of lycotonine-type diterpenoid alkaloids were screened for cardiotonic activity revealed that lycoctonine had moderate cardiac effect. In this study, a series of structurally diverse of lycoctonine were synthesized by modifying on B-ring, D-ring, E-ring, F-ring, N-atom or salt formation on lycoctonine skeleton. We evaluated the cardiotonic activity of the derivatives by isolated frog heart, aiming to identify some compounds with significantly enhanced cardiac effects, among which compound 27 with a N-isobutyl group emerged as the most promising cardiotonic candidate. Furthermore, the cardiotonic mechanism of compound 27 was preliminarily investigated. The result suggested that the cardiotonic effect of compound 27 is related to calcium channels. Patch clamp technique confirmed that the compound 27 had inhibitory effects on CaV1.2 and CaV3.2, with inhibition rates of 78.52 % ± 2.26 % and 79.05 % ± 1.59 % at the concentration of 50 μM, respectively. Subsequently, the protective effect of 27 on H9c2 cells injury induced by cobalt chloride was tested. In addition, compound 27 can alleviate CoCl2-induced myocardial injury by alleviating calcium overload. These findings suggest that compound 27 was a new structural derived from lycoctonine, which may serve as a new lead compound for the treatment of heart failure.

Synergistic activity of Fagonia arabica and Heteropneustes fossilis extracts against myocardial, cerebral infarction, and embolism disorder in mice

Objective:

Extract of Fagonia arabica, (family Zygophyllaceae) has thrombolytic activity against the clotted blood in blood vessels and the extract of Heteropneustes fossilis shows the cardiotonic activity. Therefore, combinatory pharmacology shows the synergistic activity in tied mice for a long duration.

Materials and Methods:

The cardiotonic activity of Heteropneustes fossilis fish extract was examined on a frog intact heart and then pharmacologically performed on 20 mice without plant extract as well as with a combination of plant extract, which gave a remarkable synergistic activity in an in-vivo experiment on mice kept tied for the duration of 12, 18, and 24 hours and injected within one minute after untying.

Result and Discusion:

The plant extract was compared with streptokinase as well as a non-thrombolytic agent (control). A study showed a percentage of clot lysis, which was 65.5% for plant extract, but streptokinase had 71%. The study was done in 11 healthy volunteers representing a mean value and SD of 65% ± 2.01% and 71.67% ± 0.71% of the plant extract and streptokinase, respectively, in contrast to the non-thrombolytic (control), that is, 0.86% ± 0.08%.

Conclusion:

Injection of plant and fish extract acts both synergistically in the blood clotted mice and in mice suffering from myocardial or cerebral infarction and embolized mice.