Cytotoxic effect and electrophysiologic activity of (R)-bgugaine, an alkylpyrrolidine alkaloid against MRC-5 fibroblasts.

The cytotoxicity and the electrophysiological effects against MRC-5 fibroblasts of 2-alkylpyrrolidine, (-)-R-bgugaine [1], a natural alkaloid, extracted from Arisarum vulgare Targ., (Araceae) were studied. This compound showed a cytotoxic potential against MRC-5 fibroblasts at 10 microg/ml. The electrophysiological study of this molecule on MRC-5 cells was carried out using the technique of patch-clamp and showed that (-)-R-bgugaine [1] has a sub-maximum effect on the outward potassium (current) at the concentration of 1 microM (0.281 microg/ml). In this study we show that R-bgugaine [1] activates the outwards potassium (current) activated by intracellular calcium.