Anisodamine is a naturally occurring
atropine derivative that has been isolated, synthesized and characterized by scientists in the People's Republic of China. Like
atropine and
scopolamine,
anisodamine is a non-specific
cholinergic antagonist exhibiting the usual spectrum of pharmacological effects of this
drug class. It appears to be less potent and less toxic than
atropine and displays less CNS toxicity than
scopolamine.
Anisodamine has been shown to interact with and disrupt
liposome structure which may reflect its effects on cellular membranes. Experimental evidence implicates
anisodamine as an
anti-oxidant that may protect against
free radical-induced cellular damage. Its cardiovascular properties include depression of cardiac conduction and the ability to protect against
arrhythmia induced by various agents.
Anisodamine is a relatively weak alpha(1)
adrenergic antagonist which may explain its vasodilating activity. Its anti-thrombotic activity may be a result of inhibition of
thromboxane synthesis. The T(1/2) of
anisodamine in humans is about 2-3 h. Numerous
therapeutic uses of
anisodamine have been proposed including treatment of
septic shock, various circulatory disorders, organophosphorus (OP)
poisoning,
migraine,
gastric ulcers, gastrointestinal
colic, acute glomerular
nephritis,
eclampsia,
respiratory diseases,
rheumatoid arthritis,
obstructive jaundice,
opiate addiction,
snake bite and radiation damage protection. The primary
therapeutic use of
anisodamine has been for the treatment of
septic shock. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain its beneficial effect though most mechanisms are based upon the assumption that
anisodamine ultimately acts by an improvement of blood flow in the microcirculation. Preliminary studies suggest another important
therapeutic use of
anisodamine is for the treatment of OP
poisoning. Additional research is needed to delineate further the clinical usefulness of
anisodamine relative to other anti-
muscarinic drugs such as
atropine and
scopolamine.