Reserpine
<p><b>Reserpine</b> (Lannett's <b>Serpalan</b>) is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indole" title="Indole">indole</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaloid" title="Alkaloid">alkaloid</a><sup class="reference plainlinks nourlexpansion" id="ref_indole-alkaloid"><a class="external autonumber" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserpine#endnote_indole-alkaloid">[2]</a></sup> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antipsychotic" title="Antipsychotic">antipsychotic</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antihypertensive" title="Antihypertensive" class="mw-redirect">antihypertensive</a> drug that has been used for the control of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertension" title="Hypertension">high blood pressure</a> and for the relief of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychotic" title="Psychotic" class="mw-redirect">psychotic</a> symptoms, </p>
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although because of the development of better drugs for these purposes and because of its numerous side-effects, it is rarely used today.<sup id="cite_ref-Columbia_1-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserpine#cite_note-Columbia-1">[1]</a></sup> </p>
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The antihypertensive actions of reserpine are a result of its ability to deplete <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catecholamine" title="Catecholamine">catecholamines</a> (among other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoamine_neurotransmitters" title="Monoamine neurotransmitters" class="mw-redirect">monoamine neurotransmitters</a>) from peripheral sympathetic nerve endings. These substances are normally involved in controlling heart rate, force of cardiac contraction and peripheral resistance.<sup class="reference plainlinks nourlexpansion" id="ref_veterinary1"><a class="external autonumber" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserpine#endnote_veterinary1">[3]</a></sup></p>
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Reserpine mediated depletion of monoamine <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotransmitter" title="Neurotransmitter">neurotransmitters</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synapse" title="Synapse">synapses</a> is often cited as evidence to the theory that depletion of the neurotransmitters causes subsequent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_depression" title="Clinical depression" class="mw-redirect">depression</a> in humans (c.f. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoamine_hypothesis" title="Monoamine hypothesis" class="mw-redirect">monoamine hypothesis</a>). However, this claim is not without controversy. The reserpine-induced depression is considered by some researchers to be a myth, while others claim that teas made out of the plant roots containing reserpine have a calming, sedative action that can actually be considered <b>anti</b>depressant.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserpine#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup> Notably, reserpine was the first compound shown to be an effective antidepressant in a randomized placebo-controlled trial.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserpine#cite_note-3">[3]</a></sup></p>
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Moreover, reserpine has a peripheral action in many parts of the body, resulting in a preponderance of the effects of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholinergic" title="Cholinergic">cholinergic</a> part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_nervous_system" title="Autonomous nervous system" class="mw-redirect">autonomous nervous system</a> on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_gastrointestinal_tract" title="Human gastrointestinal tract">GI tract</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smooth_muscle_tissue" title="Smooth muscle tissue">smooth muscles</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_vessel" title="Blood vessel">blood vessels</a>, etc.</p>