COMPARISON OF THE OPTICAL ISOMERS OF XYLOPININE

Abstract

The pharmacological effects of l-xylopinine, 2, 3, 10, Il-tetramethoxy-5, 6-13, 13a-tetrahydro-8-dibenzo(a-g)quinolizine citrate in a variety of experimental animals have been reported by Nakanishi (1, 2) and Yamamoto (3). The l-isomer produced a sedation with a concomitant manifestation of the resting waves in spontaneous EEG, depression on the reticular activating, specific and non-specific thalamocortical and hypothalamic activating systems and a gradually developing hypotension. All these effects derive presumedly from the peripheral and central adrenolytic mechanisms. Despite of the similarity in chemical configuration with tetrabenazine, the compound was shown to produce no significant depletion of the tissue noradrenaline in rabbit (4). The current study deals with the comparison of the pharmacological effect of l-, dl-, and d-isomers of xylopinine hydrochloride.