The response of diterpene sclareol glycol to acute hypoxia in mice.

The effects of a reversible activator of adenylate cyclase sclareol glycol (SG), a semisynthetic diterpene of the labdane family, on acute hypoxia (asphyctic, hemic-induced by 300 mg/kg of sodium nitrite injected subcutaneously, and histotoxic-induced by 20 mg/kg sodium nitroprusside injected intraperitoneally) in mice were studied. SG was applied at doses well below the lethal dose. SG increased the latency to convulsions and the survival time to death. It is suggested that the antihypoxic effects of SG on these three models of acute hypoxia are induced mainly via its effects on adenylate cyclase and perhaps its involvement in synaptic transmitter action.