Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Gallitto.
Diazepam i.v. injected at the dose of 5 mg/Kg on a group of 14 Rhode-Island-Red chicks was able to antagonize and prevent the interictal EEG pattern induced by cefazolin i.v. Since cefazolin epilepsy is most probably dependent on a receptorial antagonism with GABA, these data seem to confirm the GABA-ergic nature of cefazolin epilepsy.
In various animal species (chicks, rats and rabbits) the intravenous injection of high doses of cefazolin, a cephalosporin not hitherto reported to produce epileptic seizures, was found to produce epileptiform electrocortrical changes similar to those evoked by intravenous benzylpenicillin. Similar phenomena as those reported after systemic injection were also observed after microinjection of cefazolin into the III cerebral ventricle. In fact, both in chicks and rats cefazolin given by the latter route produced wild running crisis, myoclonic jerks of the limbs and in some instances generalized clonic convulsions. Concomitantly, bilateral electrocortical high voltage bursts of spikes were observed, followed during the intercritic period by periodic bilateral or unilateral single spikes.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The possible synergistic effect of valproic acid and ethosuximide in combination on pentylenetetrazole-induced epilepsy was investigated in rats. Valproic acid and ethosuximide administered intraperitoneally both showed dose-dependent anti-epileptic activity towards pentylenetetrazole-induced myoclonias and tonic-clonic seizures. The valproic acid-ethosuximide combination had a synergistic pharmacological effect. Against myoclonias combined valproic acid-ethosuximide produced a non-significant decrease in the effective dose of both drugs compared with treatment with either drug alone. In the case of tonic-clonic seizures the protective effect against the seizures was significantly increased by combined treatment compared with treatment with either drug alone. Neither plasma concentrations nor any other pharmacokinetic parameters were significantly changed when the same doses of valproic acid and ethosuximide were given, singly or in combination.
The unusual occurrence of epilepsy and hypocalcemia in the same family is described. Epilepsy was present in three siblings (convulsive generalized in two females and partial in one male). All six family members had calcium ion, plasmatic phosphorus, plasmatic and erythrocytic potassium, urine calcium and phosphate concentration below the normal levels. Altered values of calcium-induced potassium membrane permeability were found in three subjects (two of them also affected by epilepsy). The assumption that alterations of membrane structure or function play an essential role in determining familial epilepsy and that the normal "set point" for calcium is genetically determined in familial hypocalcemia could explain the concomitance of both pathologies to some extent.