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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.006.927 |
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| Formula | C20H17NO6 |
| Molar mass | 367.357 g·mol−1 |
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| Melting point | 215 °C (419 °F) |
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Bicuculline is aphthalide-isoquinoline compound that is a light-sensitive competitiveantagonist ofGABAA receptors.[1] It was originally identified in 1932 in plantalkaloid extracts[2] and has been isolated fromDicentra cucullaria,Adlumia fungosa, and severalCorydalis species (all insubfamilyFumarioideae, previously known asfamily Fumariaceae). Since it blocks the inhibitory action of GABA receptors, the action of bicuculline mimicsepilepsy; it also causesconvulsions. This property is utilized in laboratories around the world in thein vitro study of epilepsy, generally inhippocampal orcortical neurons in prepared brain slices from rodents. This compound is also routinely used to isolateglutamatergic (excitatory amino acid) receptor function.
The action of bicuculline is primarily on theionotropicGABAA receptors, which are ligand-gatedion channels concerned chiefly with the passing of chloride ions across the cell membrane, thus promoting an inhibitory influence on the targetneuron. These receptors are the major targets forbenzodiazepines,z-drugs, and relatedanxiolytic drugs.
The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of bicuculline on GABAA receptors is 2 μM +/-0.1 at 40 μM of GABA (GABA half maximal effective concentration, (EC50)).[3]
In addition to being a potent GABAA receptor antagonist, bicuculline can be used to block Ca2+-activated potassium channels.[4]
Sensitivity to bicuculline is defined byIUPHAR as a major criterion in the definition of GABAA receptors.[citation needed]