Search

Ibogaine, administered as a single oral dose (1-25 mg/kg body weight), has been used as an addiction-interrupting agent. Its effects persist for up to 72 h. Ex vivo results showed that ibogaine induced cellular energy consumption and restitution, followed by increased reactive oxygen species production and antioxidant activity. Therefore, the aim of this work was to explore the effect of a single oral dose of ibogaine (1 or 20 mg/kg body weight) on antioxidative defenses in rat liver and erythrocytes. Six and 24 h after ibogaine administration, histological examination showed glycogenolytic activity in hepatocytes, which was highest after 24 h in animals that received 20 mg/kg ibogaine. There were no changes in the activities of superoxide dismutases, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione-S-transferase in the liver and erythrocytes after ibogaine treatment, regardless of the dose. Hepatic xanthine oxidase activity was elevated in rats that received 20 mg/kg compared to the controls (p<0.01), suggesting faster adenosine turnover. TBARS concentration was elevated in the group treated with 1 mg/kg after 24 h compared to the controls (p<0.01), suggesting mild oxidative stress. Our results show that ibogaine treatment influenced hepatic redox homeostasis, but not sufficiently to remodel antioxidant enzyme activities at 6 and 24 h post-ibogaine application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ibogaine induces rapid changes in cellular energetics followed by the elevation of antioxidant activities. As shown earlier in male rats, ibogaine treatment with both 1 and 20 mg/kg b.w. per os led to significant glycogenolytic activity in the liver. In this work, female rats treated with the same doses of ibogaine per os displayed lower liver glycogenolytic activity relative to males, dilatation of the central vein and branches of the portal vein, and increased concentration of thiols 6 h after treatment. These changes were followed by increased catalase activity and lipid peroxidation, and decreased xanthine oxidase activity after 24 h. In kidneys, mild histopathological changes were found in all treated animals, accompanied by a decrease of glutathione reductase (after 6 and 24 h at both doses) and an increase of catalase (6 h) and xanthine oxidase activity (6 and 24 h). Ibogaine did not affect antioxidant enzymes activity in erythrocytes. Bioavailability of ibogaine was two to three times higher in females than males, with similar kinetic profiles. Compared to previous results in males, ibogaine showed sex specific effect at the level of antioxidant cellular system. Effects of ibogaine in rats are sex- and tissue-specific, and also dose- and time-dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]