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Endogenous β‐Carbolines as Clonidine‐Displacing Substances
Author(s) -
ROBINSON ESJ,
ANDERSON NJ,
CROSBY J,
NUTT DJ,
HUDSON AL
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1304.018
Subject(s) - endogeny , imidazoline receptor , chemistry , clonidine , radioligand , pharmacology , ligand (biochemistry) , binding site , receptor , biochemistry , endocrinology , biology
A bstract : Endogenous β‐carbolines, such as harmane, are known to occur in mammalian species including humans. Radioligand binding studies have revealed that certain β‐carbolines display high affinity for both I 1 and I 2 imidazoline‐binding sites (IBS). Functional studies have shown that the β‐carboline harmane elicits many characteristics expected of an endogenous ligand IBS. This article discusses the evidence relating to β‐carbolines as endogenous ligands and presents a case for harmane and related compounds as endogenous ligands for IBS.