Picrotoxin

Picrotoxin

Picrotoxinin (left) and picrotin (right)
Identifiers
CAS Number	124-87-8 Y
ATC code	none
PubChem	CID: 5360688
IUPHAR/BPS	4051
DrugBank	DB00466 Y
ChemSpider	16736444 Y
UNII	ZLT174DL7U Y
KEGG	C09529 N
ChEMBL	CHEMBL506977 Y
Chemical data
SMILES CC(=C)[C@H]1[C@@H]2C(=O)O[C@H]1[C@H]3OC(=O)[C@@]54O[C@@H]5C[C@]2(O)[C@@]34C.CC(C)(O)[C@H]5[C@@H]1C(=O)O[C@H]5[C@H]2OC(=O)[C@@]43O[C@@H]4C[C@]1(O)[C@@]23C
InChI InChI=1S/C15H18O7.C15H16O6/c1-12(2,18)6-7-10(16)20-8(6)9-13(3)14(7,19)4-5-15(13,22-5)11(17)21-9;1-5(2)7-8-11(16)19-9(7)10-13(3)14(8,18)4-6-15(13,21-6)12(17)20-10/h5-9,18-19H,4H2,1-3H3;6-10,18H,1,4H2,2-3H3/t5-,6+,7-,8-,9-,13-,14-,15+;6-,7+,8-,9-,10-,13-,14-,15+/m11/s1 Y Key:VJKUPQSHOVKBCO-AHMKVGDJSA-N Y
NY (what is this?)  (verify)

Picrotoxin, also known as cocculin, is a poisonous crystalline plant compound, first isolated by Pierre Boullay in 1812. The name "picrotoxin" is a combination of the Greek words "picros" (bitter) and "toxicon" (poison).

Found primarily in the fruit of the climbing plant Anamirta cocculus, it has a strong physiological action. It acts as a non-competitive channel blocker for the GABA_A receptor chloride channels. It is therefore a channel blocker rather than a receptor antagonist.

On the other hand, evidence exists that picrotoxin acts as a competitive antagonist, and not as a channel blocker. For example, Newland and Cull-Candy (1992) found that when recording GABA-activated currents in neurons, picrotoxin "did not alter the amplitude of the main conductance state. However, picrotoxin did reduce the frequency of channel openings." They concluded, "Our data are consistent with a mechanism whereby picrotoxin binds preferentially to an agonist bound form of the receptor and stabilizes an agonist-bound shut state. This could, for example, mean that picrotoxin enhances the occurrence of a desensitized state or an allosterically blocked state."

As GABA itself is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, infusion of picrotoxin has stimulant and convulsant effects. As such, picrotoxin can be used to counter barbiturate poisoning, that can occur during general anesthesia or during a large intake outside of the hospital.

Chemical structure

Picrotoxin is an equimolar mixture of two compounds, picrotoxinin (C₁₅H₁₆O₆; CAS# 17617-45-7) and picrotin (C₁₅H₁₈O₇; CAS# 21416-53-5).

Other uses

Picrotoxin is classified as an illegal performance-enhancing "Class 1 substance" by the American Quarter Horse Association.