Central nervous system, drugs acting poisons

There seems no reason, therefore, to eschew the description of lithium therapy as the treatment of manic patients by lithium poisoning, in the words of an early critic (Wikler 1957). Anticonvulsants do not share the toxicity profile of lithium, but by virtue of their use to prevent epileptic fits, they all exert depressant effects on the activity of the central nervous system. With this profile of drug-induced effects in mind, let us examine the research on whether lithium or other drugs currently used in manic depression act in a disease-centred way and consider whether they have any real benefits. 

L. inflata L. is a traditional medicinal plant native to North America. It contains several piperidine alkaloids. The main alkaloid is lobeline which has a stimulatory effect on the respiratory center and it is applied in the cases of asthma, gas- and narcotic-poisoning. Thus, lobeiine is currently the subject of renewed interest for the treatment of drug abuse and neurological disorders, like Alzheimer s or Parkinson s disease, which pose an important public health problem in industrial countries. As lobeiine can act as a competitive nicotinic receptor antagonist, it is frequently used in antismoking preparations. Interest in Lobelia alkaloids, and in particular (-)-lobeline, the most active of them, has increased in recent years due to their activity on the central nervous system (CNS). 

---