• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.306-315
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• 1997

In order to investigate pharmacological properties of ι -muscone, effects of ι-muscone and musk on cerebral ischemia and central nervous system were compared. Cerebral ischemia insult was performed using unilateral carotid artery occlusion in Mongolian gerbils. The histological observations showed a preventive effect of the ι-muscone treatment with ischemia-induced brain damage. The ATP in brain tissue was decreased in vehicle-treated ischemic gerbils. This decrease was prevented by the ι-muscone treatment. In contrast to what was seen with ATP, the lactate and lipid peroxide were both elevated in vehicle-treated ischemic gerbils.˙ This elevation was prevented by the ι-muscone treatment. While ι-muscone had no effects on the hexobarbital-induced sleeping time and the convulsions induced by electric shock, pentetrazol and strychnine, it had effect on rotarod test and spontaneous activity test. Respiration rate and depth were increased by the ι-muscone treatment. Furthermore, ι-muscone showed anti-stress effect. Our findings suggest that the pharmacological profile of ι-muscone on cerebral ischemia and central nervous system are similar to that of musk.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.299-305
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• 1997

In order to investigate the pharmacological properties of ι-muscone, effects of ι-muscone and musk were studied on the cardiovascular system with various experimental models. In isolated rat aorta, ι-muscone and musk made the relaxation of blood vessels in maximum contractile response to phenylephrine (10$^{-6}$ M) in endothelium-containing rings of the rat aorta, but not in endothelium-denuded rings. However, ι-muscone and musk in the presence of the inhibitor of NO synthase and guanylate cyclase did not make the relaxation of blood vessels. In spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), ι-muscone and musk slightly reduced blood pressure but significantly decreased heart rate. In the isolated perfused rat hearts, ι-muscone and musk did not affect significantly on LVDP, contractile force, coronary flow and (-dp/dt)/(+dp/dt). These results suggest that ι-muscone and musk have weak cardiovascular effects with relaxation of blood vessel and decrease of heart rate, but without significant cardiac functions.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.292-298
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• 1997

General pharmacological properties of ι-muscone, the major component of musk, were investigatedin mice, rats and guinea pig. The administration of ι-muscone (1, 10, 100 mg/kg, p.o.) in mice had no effects in general behaviors, and no influences on analgesic actions and normal body temperature. Muscle relaxant action, intestinal propulsion and gastric secretion were not observed even at the high dose of 100 mg/kg. ι-Muscone (1, 10, 100 mg/kg, p.o.) given to conscious rats showed no effect on mean blood pressure and heart rate. It showed no direct effect at 2.4$\times$10.3 mg/ml and 2.4$\times$10-2 mg/ml in isolated uterus of rats and ileum of guinea pig, and also had no inhibition of contraction induced by oxytocin and histamine.