Opiatelike actions of eseroline, an eserine derivative

Eseroline, an eserine derivative without anticholinesterase activity, was tested in several systems for opiatelike activity. Eseroline depressed the twitch of the field-stimulated guinea pig ileum myenteric plexus longitudinal muscle preparation but failed to depress the twitch of the rat vas deferens. Intraperitoneal injections of eseroline in rats induced naloxone-antagonizable analgesia and catalepsy. Eseroline failed to influence the release of acetylcholine from the cortex of anesthetized rats. These observations have implications for studies in which eserine is used as a pharmacological tool.