Biomedical subjects

D Hönack

Publications and source records attributed to D Hönack.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1994

Over-additive anticonvulsant effect of memantine and NBQX in kindled rats.

We investigated the anticonvulsant and adverse effects of various dose combinations of the AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX (2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoylbenzo(F)quinoxaline) and the low-affinity, rapidly channel blocking NMDA receptor antagonist memantine in the kindling model of epilepsy. While memantine was ineffective when given alone, co-administration with NBQX markedly potentiated the increase in focal seizure threshold induced by NBQX alone. This synergistic (i.e. over-additive) interaction was seen at doses of both drugs which did not induce behavioural adverse effects. The data substantiate that combinations of AMPA and NMDA receptor antagonists provide a new strategy for the treatment of epileptic seizures.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Anticonvulsant effects of the glycine/NMDA receptor ligands D-cycloserine and D-serine but not R-(+)-HA-966 in amygdala-kindled rats.

1. The effects of the glycine/NMDA receptor partial agonists, D-cycloserine and (+)-HA-966 and the full agonist, D-serine, on focal seizure threshold and behaviour have been determined in amygdala-kindled rats, i.e. a model of focal (partial) epilepsy. The uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, was used for comparison. 2. The high efficacy glycine partial agonist, D-cycloserine, did not alter the threshold for induction of amygdaloid afterdischarges (ADT) at doses of 20-80 mg kg-1 i.p., but significant ADT increases were determined after application of higher doses (160 and 320 mg kg-1). The ADT increases after these high doses were long-lasting; significant elevations were still observed 2 days after drug injection. Determination of D-cycloserine in plasma and brain tissue showed that it was rapidly eliminated from plasma. Compared to peak levels in plasma, only relatively low concentrations of D-cycloserine were measured in brain tissue. 3. The low efficacy glycine partial agonist, (+)-HA-966, 10-40 mg kg-1 i.p., did not alter the ADT or seizure recordings (seizure severity, seizure duration, afterdischarge duration) at ADT currents. However, the drug dose-dependently increased the duration of postictal behavioural and electroencephalographic depression in kindled rats. At the higher dose tested, postictal immobilization was dramatically increased from 3 min to about 120 min. This might indicate that glutamatergic activity is decreased postictally, which is potentiated or prolonged by (+)-HA-966. 4. Like D-cycloserine, the glycine receptor full agonist, D-serine, injected bilaterally into the lateral ventricles at a dose of 5 mumol, significantly increased the ADT, while no effect was seen at a lower dose (2.5 mumol). 5. The anticonvulsant effects observed with D-cycloserine were completely antagonized by combined treatment with (+)-HA-966, indicating that the effects of D-cycloserine were mediated by the glycine/NMDA receptor complex. 6. MK-801, 0.1 mg kg-1, did not alter the focal seizure threshold or seizure recordings at ADT current, but induced marked phencyclidine(PCP)-like behavioural alterations, such as hyperlocomotion, stereotypies and motor impairment. No PCP-like behaviours were observed after D-cycloserine, D-serine or (+)-HA-966. High doses of (+)-HA-966 induced moderate motor impairment in kindled rats. 7. The long lasting increases in seizure threshold observed after the high efficacy glycine partial agonist,D-cycloserine but not the low efficacy partial agonist, (+)-HA-966, may suggest that the effects of D-cycloserine are mediated by adaptive changes in the NMDA receptor complex in response to glycine receptor stimulation.8. Pharmacological intervention at the strychnine-insensitive glycine receptor by high-efficacy partial agonists with systemic bioavailability may be an effective means of increasing seizure-threshold without concomitantly inducing PCP-like adverse effects.

Amygdala↗

PubMed1994

Effects of the non-NMDA antagonists NBQX and the 2,3-benzodiazepine GYKI 52466 on different seizure types in mice: comparison with diazepam and interactions with flumazenil.

1. GYKI 52466 is a benzodiazepine derivative that has muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant properties thought to be mediated by highly selective, noncompetitive antagonism of non-NMDA receptors. However, recent electrophysiological data showed that, in addition to non-NMDA receptors, the GABAA-receptor associated benzodiazepine site is involved in the depressant effect of GYKI 52466 on spinal reflex transmission. In view of the structural similarities between the 2,3 benzodiazepine derivative GYKI 52466 and 1,4-benzodiazepines such as diazepam, the benzodiazepine site of GABAA receptor complex could also be involved in the anticonvulsant activity of GYKI 52466, which has not yet been proven. This prompted us to study the effect of the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, flumazenil, on anticonvulsant and adverse effects of GYKI 52466 in different seizure models in mice. The non-NMDA antagonist, NBQX and diazepam were used for comparison. 2. Seizure threshold models for different types of generalized seizures were used. The threshold for maximal (tonic) electroshock seizures (MES) was significantly increased by GYKI 52466 (10-20 mg kg-1), NBQX (80-120 mg kg-1) and diazepam (5 mg kg-1) shortly after i.p. drug administration. The same dose-range of the non-NMDA antagonists also significantly increased the threshold for myoclonic and clonic seizures induced by i.v. infusion of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), although the magnitude of threshold increases obtained with the respective drugs, differed, at least in part, from that seen in the MES experiments. GYKI 52466 was clearly less potent in increasing PTZ thresholds for myoclonic and clonic seizures than on the MES threshold, while NBQX exerted about the same potency in both models. In contrast to the non-NMDA antagonists, diazepam was capable of increasing themyoclonic and clonic PTZ seizure threshold at much lower doses than the MES threshold. The PTZ threshold for tonic seizures was markedly increased by GYKI 52466, while NBQX and diazepam were clearly less potent in this respect.3. With respect to adverse effects, GYKI 52466 and NBQX induced significant seizure threshold increases in the different seizure models only at doses which caused sedation and ataxia, while diazepam increased the myoclonic and clonic PTZ seizure threshold at doses below those inducing motor impairment.4. Flumazenil (5-20 mg kg-1) antagonized the anticonvulsant and adverse effects of diazepam but not GYKI 52466. Instead, the anticonvulsant effect of GYKI 52466 was potentiated by flumazenil in some experiments. The anticonvulsant activity of NBQX was slightly reduced by flumazenil in the MES model but not in the PTZ test.5. The data indicate that the GABAA receptor-associated benzodiazepine site is not critically involved in anticonvulsant or adverse effects of GYKI 52466. However, both GYKI 52466 and NBQX were unable to increase seizure thresholds at doses below those inducing sedation and motor impairment,thus demonstrating that non-NMDA antagonists lack a selective anticonvulsant action in standard models of generalized seizures.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Low doses of NMDA receptor antagonists synergistically increase the anticonvulsant effect of the AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX in the kindling model of epilepsy.

Excitatory amino acid transmitters are involved in the initiation of seizures and their propagation. Most attention has been directed to synapses using N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, although more recent evidence indicates potential roles for the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors as well. In the present experiments in amygdala-kindled rats, i.e. a model of partial epilepsy, competitive and uncompetitive NMDA antagonists exerted only weak anticonvulsant effects, whereas the AMPA antagonist 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoylbenzo(F)quinoxaline (NBQX) potently increased focal seizure threshold and inhibited seizure spread from the focus. These effects of NBQX were dramatically increased by pretreatment with low doses of NMDA antagonists, whereas adverse effects of NBQX were not potentiated. These data suggest that both non-NMDA and NMDA receptors are critically involved in the kindled state, and that combinations of AMPA and NMDA receptor antagonists provide a new strategy for treatment of epileptic seizures.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗

PubMed1993

Comparison of competitive and uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists with regard to monoaminergic neuronal activity and behavioural effects in rats.

The uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801 (dizocilpine) and the competitive NMDA receptor antagonists, CGP 37849 (DL-(E)-2-amino-4-methyl-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic acid) and its ethyl ester CGP 39551, were compared with respect to behavioural and neurochemical effects in handling-habituated rats. Dopamine, serotonin and their precursors and metabolites were determined in 14 brain regions. Furthermore, adrenaline and noradrenaline were analysed in regional brain tissue. When MK-801 and CGP 37849 were administered at doses which induced similar amphetamine-like behavioural effects (hyperlocomotion, stereotypies), both drugs produced comparable increases in dopamine and serotonin metabolism in various brain regions, thus strongly indicating that these neurochemical alterations were mediated by NMDA receptors. The most marked increases in dopamine turnover were found in mesolimbic areas such as the nucleus accumbens, whereas the most pronounced increases in serotonin metabolism were found in (dorsal) striatum and different parts of the cerebral cortex. In contrast, CGP 39551 differed from MK-801 and CGP 37849 both behaviourally and neurochemically in that amphetamine-like behavioural adverse effects were much less intense and dopamine and serotonin metabolism was not altered in most brain regions. In addition to effects on dopaminergic and serotonergic systems, all three drugs induced changes in adrenaline and/or noradrenaline levels in some brain regions. The data demonstrate that competitive NMDA receptor antagonists, such as CGP 37849, produce activation of dopaminergic and serotonergic pathways similar to that caused by uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists, provided that behaviourally equipotent doses are administered.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗

PubMed1993

Effects of the novel 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, (+)-WAY 100135, on stereotyped behaviour induced by the NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine in rats.

We have recently shown that the stereotyped behaviour induced by the uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine (MK-801) can be attenuated or blocked by partial agonists at 5-HT receptors of the 5HT1A subtype, indicating that 5-HT (5-hydroxytryptamine, serotonin) is involved in the stereotyped behaviour produced by dizocilpine. In the present experiment, a selective, silent 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, (+)-WAY 100135 (N-tert-butyl 3-4(2-methoxyphenyl) piperazin 1-yl-2-phenylpropanamide dihydrochloride), was used to further study the role of 5-HT activation in dizocilpine-induced behaviours. At a dose of 10 mg/kg, (+)-WAY 100135 significantly reduced the intensity of head weaving induced by dizocilpine, but this effect was lost by increasing the dose to 20 mg/kg. At this higher dose, (+)-WAY 100135 induced marked but short-lasting increases in skeletal muscle tone and hindlimb abduction, resembling components of the '5-HT behavioural syndrome', which would explain its biphasic effects on dizocilpine induced behaviours. The data substantiate that, in addition to the well known activation of dopaminergic transmission, activation of the 5-HT system might be involved in the behavioural effects of NMDA receptor antagonists such as dizocilpine.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Sex differences in NMDA receptor mediated responses in rats.

The behavioural effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK-801 (dizocilpine) were compared in age-matched female and male Wistar rats. At a dose of 0.1 mg/kg i.p., almost no behavioural alterations were seen in male rats, while marked and long-lasting phencyclidine-like behavioural alterations, such as ataxia, hyperlocomotion, and head weaving were observed in female rats. When the dosage of MK-801 was increased to 0.3 mg/kg, these behavioural alterations were also observed in male animals, but with lower intensity and/or duration than in female rats. The data demonstrate that female rats are much more susceptible to NMDA receptor blockade than males, suggesting sex related differences in the endogenous modulation of this glutamate subreceptor.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Differences in anticonvulsant potency and adverse effects between dextromethorphan and dextrorphan in amygdala-kindled and non-kindled rats.

The anticonvulsant and adverse effects of dextromethorphan, a non-opioid antitussive, and its metabolite dextrorphan were examined in amygdala-kindled rats. Both drugs have repeatedly been proposed to be functional non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, but they also exert effects distinct from antagonism at NMDA receptors, such as blockade of voltage-gated calcium channels and sigma-site mediated actions. Since recent data have demonstrated that kindled rats are more susceptible to the adverse effects of NMDA receptor antagonists than non-kindled rats, the time course, characteristics and severity of adverse effects of dextromethorphan and dextrorphan were also determined in non-kindled animals. Dextromethorphan dose dependently increased the focal seizure threshold (i.e. the threshold for induction of afterdischarges recorded from the amygdala) in fully kindled rats. This anticonvulsant effect was found at relatively low doses (7.5-15 mg/kg i.p.) which were almost free of any adverse effects. At higher doses, dextromethorphan induced motor impairment and seizures, but no phenyclidine (PCP)-like adverse effects, such as hyperlocomotion or stereotypies. In contrast, such adverse effects were seen after dextrorphan, although only infrequently. Dextrorphan was less potent in inducing anticonvulsant but more potent in inducing motor impairing effects than dextromethorphan in kindled rats. In non-kindled rats, the motor impairment induced by dextrorphan was significantly less severe than in kindled rats, whereas no marked differences between kindled and non-kindled rats were found for dextromethorphan. The data indicate that dextromethorphan and dextrorphan differ in their mechanisms of action. Only dextrorphan exerts effects which are characteristic for NMDA receptor antagonism, whereas the potent anticonvulsant effect of dextromethorphan in presumably unrelated to the NMDA receptor complex.

Amygdala↗

PubMed1993

Effects of the competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, CGP 37849, on anticonvulsant activity and adverse effects of valproate in amygdala-kindled rats.

The effects of combined treatment with low doses (1-5 mg/kg i.p.) of the competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, CGP 37849 (DL-[E]-2-amino-4-methyl-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic acid), and the antiepileptic drug, valproate, were studied in amygdala-kindled and non-kindled rats. CGP 37849, 5 mg/kg, did not exert anticonvulsant effects in fully kindled rats but increased the anticonvulsant potency of valproate, 80 mg/kg i.p. However, the increase in anticonvulsant activity was parallelled by a marked increase in motor impairment, resulting in a considerable reduction of the therapeutic index of the combined treatment compared to valproate alone. Furthermore, at doses of 2.5-5 mg/kg, CGP 37849 potentiated the adverse effects but not the anticonvulsant activity of 50 mg/kg valproate. In non-kindled rats, combined treatment with CGP 37849 and valproate induced significantly less marked adverse effects than in kindled rats. The data on combined treatment with CGP 37849 and valproate substantiate that kindling alters the susceptibility to manipulations of NMDA receptor-mediated events. Since kindling is thought to be a predictive model of complex partial seizures, these results suggest that competitive NMDA receptor antagonists such as CGP 37849 may be of limited usefulness against this seizure type in humans.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗

PubMed1993

Profile of ucb L059, a novel anticonvulsant drug, in models of partial and generalized epilepsy in mice and rats.

The novel anticonvulsant drug ucb L059 ((S)-alpha-ethyl-2-oxo-1-pyrrolidineacetamide) was evaluated in several rodent models of partial and generalized seizures. Ucb L059 (27-108 mg/kg i.p.) increased the thresholds for tonic electroconvulsions and myoclonic and clonic seizures induced by timed i.v. infusion of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), but was ineffective in the traditional maximal electroshock seizure and s.c. PTZ seizure tests in mice and rats in doses up to 500 mg/kg. The anticonvulsant potency of ucb L059 in seizure threshold tests was similar to that of standard drugs, such as valproate. In amygdala-kindled rats, ucb L059 exerted potent anticonvulsant activity against both focal and secondarily generalized seizures at doses of 13-108 mg/kg. The adverse effects of ucb L059 were quantitated in the open field and in standard tests for motor impairment, such as the rotarod and chimney tests. Ucb L059 exerted only minimal effects on behaviour, e.g. slight hyperactivity, and did not impair muscle activity in the rotarod test in doses up to 1700 mg/kg i.p. The data indicate that ucb L059 is an interesting new anticonvulsant agent with a broad spectrum of activity and high therapeutic index.

Amygdala↗

PubMed1993

Transmitter amino acid levels in rat brain regions after amygdala-kindling or chronic electrode implantation without kindling: evidence for a pro-kindling effect of prolonged electrode implantation.

Kindling is a chronic model of epilepsy characterized by a progressive increase in response to the same regularly applied stimulus. The biological basis of the kindling phenomenon requires to be determined, but several studies indicate that alterations in amino acidergic neurotransmission may be involved. In the present experiments, levels of glutamate, aspartate, GABA, glycine, and taurine were determined in 12 brain regions by HPLC in 3 groups of animals: (a) a group which was kindled via electrical stimulation of intraamygdala electrodes and was sacrificed 36 days after the last fully kindled seizure for neurochemical determinations; (b) a group of implanted but nonstimulated rats (surgical control group) in which neurochemical measurements were done at the same time after electrode implantation as the kindled group, and (c) a group of non-implanted, naive control rats. Compared to surgical controls, kindling induced a significant reduction of glutamate, GABA, and taurine in the brain stem (pons/medulla), whereas no differences between both groups were found in any of the other regions. However, both electrode-implanted groups differed significantly from non-implanted naive rats in several regions, indicating that electrode-implantation per se induced long-lasting alterations in transmitter amino acids. The most striking difference to naive controls was an increase of glycine levels in several regions in which this amino acid is known to potentiate glutamatergic transmission. In order to examine the functional consequences of prolonged electrode implantation, seizure thresholds were determined in groups of rats with short and prolonged electrode implantation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1993

Pharmacological characterization of phenytoin-resistant amygdala-kindled rats, a new model of drug-resistant partial epilepsy.

By repeated treatment with phenytoin, subgroups of animals with different response to phenytoin were selected from a large group of amygdala-kindled rats. In one subgroup ('phenytoin responders') phenytoin induced reproducible increases in focal seizure threshold, while in another subgroup ('phenytoin nonresponders') animals were resistant to phenytoin. These phenytoin nonresponders, which comprised about 12% of the kindled animals tested, did not differ from phenytoin responders in drug levels, drug adverse effects or location of the stimulation electrode in the amygdala. Treatment of phenytoin responders and nonresponders with other primary antiepileptic drugs showed that valproate and phenobarbital induced much smaller increases in focal seizure threshold in phenytoin nonresponders than in responders, whereas carbamazepine induced about the same threshold increase in both groups. The novel antiepileptic drug vigabatrin, which acts by increasing GABA levels, exerted anticonvulsant effects in phenytoin responders but was inactive in nonresponders. Determination of plasma amino acids before and after vigabatrin treatment demonstrated marked differences in biochemical responses to vigabatrin although drug levels were about the same in both groups. The data demonstrate that amygdala-kindled rats with phenytoin resistance offer a basic approach to the investigation of mechanisms of drug resistance in epilepsy. Furthermore, these animals may be used in the evaluation of new anticonvulsant drugs for treatment of partial seizures which do not respond to the currently available therapies.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1993

Effects of valproate and E-2-en-valproate on functional and morphological parameters of rat liver. III. Influence of fasting.

Valproate (VPA) therapy has been associated with a rare but fatal hepatotoxicity. Several possible biochemical mechanisms responsible for the hepatotoxicity have been proposed, but the matter has not been decided. There is some evidence that VPA-associated hepatotoxicity may represent the consequences of a VPA overload on a limited mitochondrial beta-oxidation capacity, causing abnormalities in metabolic pathways. If this assumption is true, fasting-induced increase of endogenous fatty acids, which compete with VPA for beta-oxidation, should enhance the hepatotoxic potential of VPA. Indeed, involuntary fasting because of anorexia, e.g., in children with febrile infections, has been discussed as one clinical risk pattern preceding VPA-associated hepatic fatalities. In the present experiments, the effects of fasting on functional and morphological parameters of the liver were studied in young male rats chronically treated with VPA. E-2-en-VPA (trans-2-en-VPA), a major active metabolite of the beta-oxidation pathway of VPA, was used for comparison. Both drugs were administered at doses of 250 mg/kg i.p. 3 times daily for 1 week. In control rats, a 40-h fasting period resulted in marked mobilization of liver lipid and glycogen stores, alterations in liver enzyme activities, and hyperammonemia. In rats treated with VPA, fasting reduced beta-oxidation of the drug, but seemed not to increase its hepatotoxic potential. Compared to experiments without fasting, alterations in liver enzymes and ammonia levels induced by VPA were less marked or absent in fasted rats, and histopathological examination of liver sections did not indicate degenerative liver lesions in response to drug treatment. Thus, compared to previous rat studies on VPA without fasting, fasting appeared to attenuate VPA's hepatotoxic potency, possibly as a result of fasting-induced increases in carnitine levels. In rats treated with E-2-en-VPA, no indication of hepatotoxicity was evident, and alterations in functional hepatic parameters were less pronounced than with VPA. The data do not indicate that fasting or poor nutrition are risk factors for VPA-associated hepatic injury.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Effects of valproate and E-2-en-valproate on functional and morphological parameters of rat liver. II. Influence of phenobarbital comedication.

The effect of phenobarbital on the potential hepatotoxicity of E-2-en-valproate (E-2-en-VPA; trans-2-en-VPA) and VPA was studied in young male Sprague-Dawley rats. E-2-en-VPA and VPA were administered daily at 750 mg/kg i.p. (divided into three doses a day) for 7 consecutive days. Phenobarbital was coadministered i.p. once daily at 100 mg/kg for 2 days, followed by daily injections of 50 mg/kg for the subsequent days of the treatment period. Additional groups of rats were treated with phenobarbital alone or received once daily administration of 4-en-VPA (100 mg/kg), a potentially hepatotoxic metabolite of VPA. Clinical chemistry data were studied before and after the period of treatment. Furthermore, drug and metabolite levels were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Treatment with VPA and phenobarbital resulted in deaths and histopathological liver alterations, such as marked microvesicular steatosis and degenerative lesions, whereas no death and hepatotoxicity occurred in rats treated with E-2-en-VPA and phenobarbital. Furthermore, hyperammonemia was recorded in VPA- but not E-2-en-VPA-treated rats. In comparison to treatment with VPA or E-2-en-VPA alone, combined treatment with phenobarbital markedly reduced plasma levels of the parent drugs and metabolites originating from beta-oxidation, but, in case of VPA, increased metabolites originating from omega-oxidation. Plasma levels of 4-en-VPA were increased by phenobarbital in VPA-treated rats, but 4-en-VPA was not detectable in rats treated with E-2-en-VPA. The most severe alterations in functional and morphological liver parameters were found in rats treated with 4-en-VPA. In these animals, the extent of steatosis was significantly correlated with plasma levels of 4-en-VPA, but not its major metabolite 2,4-dien-VPA. Plasma levels of 4-en-VPA or its major metabolite 2,4-dien-VPA in rats without steatosis were markedly higher than levels of these compounds in VPA-treated rats with steatosis, suggesting that 4-en-VPA and 2,4-dien-VPA are not critically involved in the hepatotoxic effects of VPA. The data substantiate that E-2-en-VPA is less hepatotoxic than VPA and may thus offer advantages for antiepileptic therapy.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Kindled rats are more sensitive than non-kindled rats to the behavioural effects of combined treatment with MK-801 and valproate.

The effects of combined treatment with low doses (0.025-0.05 mg/kg i.p.) of the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801 (dizocilpine), and the antiepileptic drug, valproate, were studied in amygdala-kindled and non-kindled rats. MK-801, 0.05 mg/kg, did not exert anticonvulsant effects in fully kindled rats but increased the anticonvulsant potency of valproate, 100 mg/kg i.p. However, the increase in anticonvulsant activity was paralleled by a marked increase in adverse effects such as motor impairment and hyperactivity, resulting in a considerable reduction of the therapeutic index of the combined treatment compared to valproate alone. Furthermore, MK-801 potentiated the adverse effects but not the anticonvulsant activity of 50 mg/kg valproate. Combined treatment with MK-801 and valproate induced much less marked adverse effects in non-kindled rats than in kindled rats. The competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, CGP 37849 1 mg/kg i.p., did not alter the effects of valproate in kindled rats. The data on combined treatment with MK-801 and valproate substantiate the conclusion that kindling alters the susceptibility to manipulations of NMDA receptor-mediated events.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗

PubMed1992

The behavioural effects of MK-801 in rats: involvement of dopaminergic, serotonergic and noradrenergic systems.

The non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801 (dizocilpine), induces in rats a characteristic behavioural syndrome with ataxia, stereotypies and hyperlocomotion. At least part of this behavioural syndrome is thought to be related to interactions between glutamatergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission. Based on recent biochemical evidence that serotonin (5-HT) might also be involved in the effects of MK-801 several 5-HT receptor ligands were tested for effects on MK-801-induced behaviours. The 5-HT1A receptor ligands, ipsapirone and NAN-190, which are known to display antagonist-like properties in functional models of postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor activity attenuated or blocked the hyperlocomotion and head weaving observed after administration of MK-801, whereas the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, ritanserin, was ineffective in this respect. The dopamine receptor antagonist, haloperidol, and the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist, prazosin, also attenuated behaviours induced by MK-801. In contrast to its effects on stereotypies induced by MK-801, ipsapirone potentiated rather than attenuated the stereotyped behaviour induced by the dopamine receptor agonist, apomorphine, indicating that antagonism of MK-801-induced stereotypies by ipsapirone may not be related to the dopaminergic system. The data indicate that, in addition to catecholaminergic systems, serotonergic neurotransmission is significantly involved in the mechanisms by which MK-801 alters behaviour in rats.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗

PubMed1992

Pharmacokinetics, anticonvulsant efficacy, and adverse effects of trans-2-en-valproate after acute and chronic administration in amygdala-kindled rats.

The trans isomer of 2-en-valproate (trans-2-en-VPA), an unsaturated metabolite of the clinically established antiepileptic valproate (VPA), was examined in the kindling model of epilepsy. As in the case of VPA, trans-2-en-VPA exerted potent anticonvulsant effects against partial seizures and secondarily generalized clonic seizures in amygdala-kindled rats after i.p. administration of acute doses. The anticonvulsant potency of trans-2-en-VPA appeared to be higher than that of VPA, especially in the case of secondarily generalized seizures. However, as previously reported for effects of valproate in the kindling model, trans-2-en-VPA exerted anticonvulsant effects against kindled seizures only at doses which were associated with motor impairment. Pharmacokinetic experiments with trans-2-en-VPA indicated non-linear kinetics with dose-dependent elimination rate and enterohepatic recirculation. According to the initial rapid decline in plasma concentrations of trans-2-en-VPA, the duration of anticonvulsant action in kindled rats was short-lasting so that an experimental protocol with 3 daily administrations was chosen for chronic experiments with this drug. During chronic treatment of kindled rats with 3 times daily injection of 100 mg/kg trans-2-en-VPA for 2 weeks, there was a marked reduction of anticonvulsant activity during the second week of treatment. This loss of anticonvulsant activity was not due to metabolic tolerance, i.e. reduction of drug levels by increased drug metabolism. Furthermore, additional experiments with altered experimental protocol indicated that the loss of anticonvulsant activity was not due to contingent tolerance, i.e. involvement of learning processes due to too frequent drug testing. However, the size of chronic treatment dose was important for the rate and degree of tolerance development, since an increase of dosage to 150 mg/kg 3 times daily resulted in significant anticonvulsant effects throughout the period of treatment with almost no indication of tolerance. The date indicate that trans-2-en-VPA is as effective as valproate in the kindling model. In view of previously reported experimental evidence that trans-2-en-VPA might have a lower hepatotoxic and teratogenic potential as valproate, the present study substantiates that trans-2-en-VPA might be an interesting alternative to valproate in antiepileptic therapy.

Amygdala↗

PubMed1992

Withdrawal precipitation by benzodiazepine receptor antagonists in dogs chronically treated with diazepam or the novel anxiolytic and anticonvulsant beta-carboline abecarnil.

The effects of the benzodiazepine (BZ) receptor antagonists flumazenil (Ro 15-1788) and the beta-carboline ZK 93426 were compared in dogs before and after chronic treatment with diazepam or the novel BZ receptor ligand abecarnil (ZK 112119). Abecarnil, a beta-carboline, is thought to act as partial (low efficacy) and/or subtype selective agonist at central BZ receptors. Diazepam and abecarnil were administered at doses which, based on previous experiments on anticonvulsant activity, resulted in about equieffective drug concentrations during treatment. In dogs treated with diazepam, 6 mg/kg/day p.o., for 2 weeks, severe abstinence symptoms, including seizures, were precipitated in all animals by i.v. infusion of the BZ receptor antagonists, differences being found in the type of symptoms caused by flumazenil and ZK 93426. In dogs treated with abecarnil, 4 mg/kg/d s.c., for 6 weeks, only relatively mild abstinence symptoms were precipitated by infusion of flumazenil or ZK 93426, although pharmacologically active plasma concentrations of abecarnil had been maintained throughout the period of treatment. This suggests that BZ receptor ligands which act as partial and/or selective agonists might be more favourable than traditional agonists, such as diazepam, regarding the induction of physical dependence.

Animals↗