Arecoline ameliorates hyperthyroid condition in mice under cold stress

Abstract

Betel nut of Areca catechu is chewed by millions of people for increased capacity to work and stress reduction, but it contains arecoline that causes hypothyroidism. The aim is to investigate the role of arecoline on thyroid activity in cold stress in mice. Arecoline treatment (10 mg/kg body wt/day, for 7 d) caused a reduction in thyroid weight and ultrastructural degeneration of thyro-follicular cells with depletion of T and T levels compared with the control mice. Cold stress (4 °C for 2 h, twice daily, for 7 d) stimulated thyroid activity ultrastructurally with an elevation of T and T levels. Arecoline treatment in cold stress suppressed thyroid activity by showing reversed changes to those of cold stress. In contrast, TSH concentrations were consistently increased under all experimental conditions. The findings suggest that cold stress causes hyperthyroidism which arecoline can ameliorate in mice.

Arecoline induces dual modulation of blood pressure in rat, including an initial downregulation and a subsequent upregulation

“…The BP changes induced by arecoline (1.0, 3.0 and 10.0 mg/kg) generally recovered within 800 sec (Figure 1), which was consistent with previous reports on arecoline action times in behavioral demonstrations [8] and metabolic examinations [4]. Arecoline-induced decreases in BP may be due to arecoline-mediated relaxation of the aorta endothelium and/or improvement of vasorelaxation [2].…”

“…Arecoline has long been known to exhibit multiple cholinomimetic effects that are predominantly parasympathetic in nature. Such effects have frequently been studied in animal models and observed in clinical settings, including effects on stress reduction, cardiovascular modulation, digestive promotion, and endocrine functions [5][6][7][8]20,21]. However, relatively little is known about how arecoline regulates BP.…”

“…Arecoline is the main bioactive alkaloid in areca nuts, and it has several pharmacological effects that are parasympathetic in nature [5]. Arecoline has frequently been reported to exhibit beneficial effects in patients with Alzheimer dementia (AD), schizophrenia, and depression [6][7][8][9]. Because of the parasympathetic features, arecoline also causes cardiovascular modulations, but with contradictory effects.…”

Betel Quid Health Risks of Insulin Resistance Diseases in Poor Young South Asian Native and Immigrant Populations

“…Population-based studies in Taiwan revealed dose-dependent increases in central and general obesity [ 148 ], and higher prevalence rates of metabolic syndrome [ 146 ] and type 2 diabetes [ 149 ] in areca nut chewers. Under conditions of starvation including under-nutrition, areca nut has toxic effects on the endocrine system leading to thyroid dysfunction and metabolic stress [ 150 ]. Experimentally, areca nut exposures induced glucose intolerance in adult mice, as well as in the F1 and F2 offspring of betel-fed parents [ 135 , 136 ], reflecting transgenerational transmission of disease.…”

Arecoline Induces an Excitatory Response in Ventral Tegmental Area Dopaminergic Neurons in Anesthetized Rats

“…Arecoline is a natural cholinomimetic drug that evokes a wide spectrum of pharmacological effects on the nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, and endocrine systems, and also has anti-parasitic effects ( Peng W et al, 2015 ; Peng W et al, 2015 ; Liu et al, 2016 ). Arecoline exhibits multiple adverse effects, including growth retardation, developmental defects, locomotive impairment, cardiovascular disorders, and hyporeflexia, as shown in studies of zebrafishes, mice, rats, and humans ( Pichini et al, 2005 ; Peng W. H et al, 2015 ; Peng et al, 2016 ; Dasgupta et al, 2017 ; Dasgupta et al, 2018 ; Winger, 2021 ). Arecoline induces severe toxicity on cellular and molecular levels, such as oral submucosal fibrosis, oral squamous cell carcinoma, and genotoxicity ( Liu et al, 2016 ; Drake and Pjh, 2018 ).…”