The opium alkaloid noscapine is a commonly used antitussive agent available in Europe, Asia, and South America. Although the mechanism by which it suppresses coughing is currently unknown, it is presumed to involve the central nervous system. In addition to its antitussive action, noscapine also binds to tubulin and alters microtubule dynamics in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we show that noscapine inhibits the proliferation of rat C6 glioma cells in vitro (IC 50 ؍ 100 M) and effectively crosses the blood-brain barrier at rates similar to the ones found for agents such as morphine and [Met]enkephalin that have potent central nervous system activity (P < 0.05). Daily oral noscapine treatment (300 mg/kg) administered to immunodeficient mice having stereotactically implanted rat C6 glioblasoma into the striatum revealed a significant reduction of tumor volume (P < 0.05). This was achieved with no identifiable toxicity to the duodenum, spleen, liver, or hematopoietic cells as determined by pathological microscopic examination of these tissues and flow cytometry. Furthermore, noscapine treatment resulted in little evidence of toxicity to dorsal root ganglia cultures as measured by inhibition of neurite outgrowth and yielded no evidence of peripheral neuropathy in animals. However, evidence of vasodilation was observed in noscapine-treated brain tissue. These unique properties of noscapine, including its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, interfere with microtubule dynamics, arrest tumor cell division, reduce tumor growth, and minimally affect other dividing tissues and peripheral nerves, warrant additional investigation of its therapeutic potential.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.