Arecoline

About: Arecoline is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 744 publications have been published within this topic receiving 16015 citations. The topic is also known as: methylarecaiden & methylarecaidin.

Effects of areca nut, inflorescence piper betle extracts and arecoline on cytotoxicity, total and unscheduled DNA synthesis in cultured gingival keratinocytes

Abstract: Betel quid (BQ) chewing has a strong correlation with oral leukoplakia, submucous fibrosis and oral cancer. For elucidation of its pathogenesis, we investigated the effects of areca nut (AN) and inflorescence piper betle (IPB) extracts and arecoline on the growth, total DNA synthesis (TDS) and unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) of cultured human gingival keratinocytes (GK). Arecoline and AN extract suppressed the growth of GK over 5 days of incubation in a dose-dependent fashion. At concentrations of 100, 200 and 400 microg/ml, AN extract suppressed the growth of GK by 31%, 46% and 90%, respectively. The IPB extracts exerted less inhibitory effect on the growth of GK. IPB extract (200-400 microg/ml) decreased cell numbers by 20-40% over 5 days of incubation. Moreover, at a concentration of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mM, arecoline suppressed cell growth by 44%, 77% and 96%, respectively. However, only AN extract induced TDS and UDS in cultured GK within 6 h of exposure. Induction of UDS by AN extract was concomitant with the presence of apparent intracellular vacuolization. Arecoline was also toxic to GK, but did not induce intracellular vacuolization. At a concentration range of 200-1600 microg/ml, AN extract induced TDS by 2.1- to 6.5-fold. Furthermore, at a concentration of 400-1600 microg/ml, AN extract elevated the UDS by 2.4- to 5.5-fold more than that of untreated control. On the contrary, IPB extract (200-1600 microg/ml) and arecoline (0.2-1.6 mM) inhibited the TDS and UDS of GK to a different extent. Simultaneous exposure of confluent GK to AN extract, IPB extract and arecoline for 1 to 5 days led to different degrees of cytotoxicity that was dose- and time-dependent. These results indicate that AN, IPB and arecoline take part in the pathogenesis of BQ chewing-related oral mucosal lesions, possibly through both genotoxic and non-genotoxic mechanisms.

Arecoline-induced myofibroblast transdifferentiation from human buccal mucosal fibroblasts is mediated by ZEB1

Abstract: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is considered as a pre-cancerous condition of the oral mucosa and is highly associated with habitual areca quid chewing. Arecoline is the major alkaloid in areca quid and is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of OSF. Our previous studies have demonstrated that arecoline could induce epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related factors in primary human buccal mucosal fibroblasts (BMFs). Therefore, we investigated the expression of zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), which is a well-known transcriptional factor in EMT, in OSF tissues and its role in arecoline-induced myofibroblast transdifferentiation from BMFs. The expression of ZEB1, as well as the myofibroblast marker α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), was significantly increased in OSF tissues, respectively. With immunofluorescence analysis, arecoline induced the formation of α-SMA-positive stress fibres in BMFs expressing nuclear ZEB1. Arecoline also induced collagen contraction of BMFs in vitro. By chromatin immunoprecipitation, the binding of ZEB1 to the α-SMA promoter in BMFs was increased by arecoline. The promoter activity of α-SMA in BMFs was also induced by arecoline, while knockdown of ZEB1 abolished arecoline-induced α-SMA promoter activity and collagen contraction of BMFs. Long-term exposure of BMFs to arecoline induced the expression of fibrogenic genes and ZEB1. Silencing of ZEB1 in fibrotic BMFs from an OSF patient also suppressed the expression of α-SMA and myofibroblast activity. Inhibition of insulin-like growth factor receptor-1 could suppress arecoline-induced ZEB1 activation in BMFs. Our data suggest that ZEB1 may participate in the pathogenesis of areca quid–associated OSF by activating the α-SMA promoter and inducing myofibroblast transdifferentiation from BMFs.

Behavioral and biochemical studies of dichloromethane fraction from the Areca catechu nut.

Abstract: The dichloromethane fraction from Areca catechu was found to inhibit monoamine oxidase type A isolated from the rat brain with an IC50 of 665 +/- 65.1 microg/ml. Studies with pharmacological models of depression, i.e., forced swim and tail-suspension tests, indicated that it caused significant reduction in the immobility time similar to that of moclobemide (a selective inhibitor of MAO-A) without causing a significant change in motor performance. Alkaloids such as arecaidine, arecoline, and a few other constituents, reported to be present in Areca catechu were also tested, but none of them were found to inhibit MAO. Present study suggests that the dichloromethane fraction from A. catechu possesses antidepressant property via MAO-A inhibition.

The pharmacology, toxicology and potential applications of arecoline: a review

Abstract: Context: Arecoline is an effective constituent of Areca catechu L. (Arecaceae) with various pharmacological effects. However, investigations also revealed that long use of arecoline could arouse so...

Attenuation of scopolamine-induced amnesia in mice

Abstract: Numerous studies suggest that age-related declines in memory storage are related to impairment of central cholinergic systems. Scopolamine, a muscarinic cholinergic antagonist, has been used with young humans and other animal species as a model of the cognitive impairment that often accompanies normal and pathological aging. The present study examined whether amnesia induced by scopolamine could be counteracted in mice by arecoline, a cholinergic agonist, or by other drugs, epinephrine or glucose, which have been found to enhance memory in aged rodents and humans. Young mice were administered scopolamine (3 mg/kg, IP) or saline prior to training on an inhibitory avoidance apparatus. Immediately after training, animals received injections of epinephrine (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mg/kg), glucose (10, 100, and 250 mg/kg), arecoline (0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg), or saline. The results indicate that pre-training scopolamine reliably impaired retention assessed in test trials 48 h after training. This impairment was not attenuated by any post-training dose of arecoline; however, immediate post-training injections of both epinephrine (at 0.05 mg/kg) and glucose (at 100 mg/kg) significantly reduced the amnesia. Neither of these drugs was effective if injections were delayed by 1 h after training. These results support the value of scopolamine as a model of age-related memory impairments, but suggest further that these memory deficits may be particularly susceptible to attenuation with non-cholinergic treatments.