An update on vinpocetine: New discoveries and clinical implications

Abstract

Vinpocetine, a derivative of the alkaloid vincamine, has been clinically used in many countries for treatment of cerebrovascular disorders such as stroke and dementia for more than 30 years. Currently, vinpocetine is also available in the market as a dietary supplement to enhance cognition and memory. Due to its excellent safety profile, increasing efforts have been put into exploring the novel therapeutic effects and mechanism of actions of vinpocetine in various cell types and disease models. Recent studies have revealed a number of novel functions of vinpocetine, including anti-inflammation, antagonizing injury-induced vascular remodeling and high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, as well as attenuating pathological cardiac remodeling. These novel findings may facilitate the repositioning of vinpocetine for preventing or treating relevant disorders in humans.

Keywords: Cardiovascular; Inflammation; Neurovascular; Vinpocetine.

Figure 1. Chemical structures of vincamine and vinpocetine

The chemical structures are derived from Wikipedia.

Figure 2. Vinpocetine is a multi-action agent with a number of pharmacological targets

Vinpocetine has three major molecule targets including PDE1, voltage-gated Na⁺ channel, and IKK. PDE1 has been shown to regulate vasoconstriction, vascular and cardiac structure remodeling, and neurotransmission. The Na⁺ channel is involved in cell toxicity and cell death. IKK plays a critical role in mediating cellular inflammatory response.