Tonics Strychnine

PCP, like barbiturates, also has anticonvulsant effects in various animal models (Chen et al. 1959 Geller et al. 1981 Hayes and Balster 1985). Certain convulsants, such as strychnine, are not antagonized, and PCP has some specificity for tonic rather than clonic convulsions. 

These sites include a regulatory site that binds glycine, a site which is insensitive to the antagonistic effects of strychnine. This contrasts with the action of glycine on glycine receptors in the spinal cord where strychnine, on blocking the receptor, causes the characteristic tonic seizures. 

Fixed dose combinations of strychnine and caffeine in tonics. 

In very small doses, strychnine has been used as a tonic and stimulant and to treat some nervous and diges-... 

Strychnine (used as water-soluble nitrate) diminishes, by antagonism of the inhibitory transmitter substances, the synaptic resistance in the spinal cord and thus increases the tonus of the skeleton (skeletal) muscles. This effect is achieved by subconvulsive doses of 0.1-0.2 mg. Tired, asthenic patients thus get a subjective stimulating feeling of greater physical efforts. This is certainly of therapeutic value—and strychnine is therefore used as an ingredient (in low dose) in tonics. 

In higher doses strychnine gives tonic convulsions, which could be lethal due to... 

Many studies have shown that kava extract and the kavalactones present in it have anticonvulsant effects in mice with experimentally induced tonic-extensor convulsions, produced by maximal electroshock, strychnine, pentylenetetrazol, bemegride, and picrotoxin (Klohs 1959 Meyer, 1964 Kretzschmar 1969 Kretzschmar and Meyer, 1969) Methysticin and dihydromethysticin proved to be the most effective in this respect. As kavalactones are poorly absorbed in the gut, the oral administration of unsaturated kavalactones required a dosage that was ten-fold higher than that required by intravenous administration. Mixtures of yangonin or desmethoxyyangonin with... 

Until fairly recently, strychnine was used as an ingredient in "over-the-counter" tonics — a practice which has caused many accidental poisonings, particularly of yoimg children. The seeds of... 

Strychnine (99, 100) has been used as a rodenticide in Europe since the 16th century. For almost as long it has found widespread use in medicine owing to its reputation, probably mistaken, as a tonic. As mentioned earlier, its ready availability and extreme toxicity led to its becoming one of the most common causes of suicidal and accidental poisoning, the latter being particularly common in children. In spite of its intensely bitter taste it has been used as a homicidal agent on numerous occasions. 

Phenobarbital is indicated as a hypnotic agent for the shortterm treatment of insomnia, as an anticonvulsant in the treatment of partial and generalized tonic-clonic and cortical focal seizures and in emergency control of certain acute convulsive episodes (e.g., those associated with status epi-lepticus, eclampsia, tetanus, and toxic reactions to strychnine or local anesthetics). 

Only one derivative (8) of this ring system is known, and this was described as an oxazino[3,4-a]pyrazine. Apparently no preparative details have been given for this compound although it has attracted attention as a pharmacological tool The compound, frequently referred to as COP, is a spinal convulsant producing clonic and tonic extensor seizures Originally thought to be strychnine-like in its action/ differences have now been demonstrated ... 

Strychnine (1), the active component of a notorious arrow poison in Southeast Asia, has a mysterious history. [1] It is a convulsant blocking synaptic inhibition in the spinal cord by acting as an antagonist of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, glycine. [2] In therapeutic doses strychnine has a mildly analeptic effect in toxic doses it leads to uncoordinated tonic convulsions induced by acoustic, tactile, or optical stimuli. Paralysis of the respiratory organ results in death 100-300 mg is the lethal dose fiir an adult human. [2c]... 

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