Field potential analysis in the freely moving rat during the action of cyclandelate or flunarizine.
Cyclandelate and flunarizine, two vasoactive Ca2+ channel or Ca2+ overload blockers have been compared with respect to their in vivo action on field potentials recorded from the depths of the brain in freely moving rats. Whereas cyclandelate showed a dose dependent rapid onset of action in the range of 15 to 120 mg/kg i.p., flunarizine only induced weak effects very slowly, not reaching statistical relevance before the fourth hour after the injection (0.1 to 1.6 mg/kg). Even then no clear dose dependence could be recognized for flunarizine. With respect to the frequency content of the recorded signals a rather close similarity between both drugs could be seen. Comparison of the drug effects to our reference data base of more than 80 compounds revealed a close relationship to memantine, an antiparkinson drug, suspected to act on the NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptor-ionophor complex controlling Ca2+ fluxes. There is some indication that cyclandelate might also act in a similar way at the molecular level.
Dimpfel
W
W
Pro Science Private Research Institute, Linden, FRG.
Wedekind
W
W
Spüler
M
M
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003495:Cyclandelate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005444:Flunarizine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D003495:Cyclandelate; D005444:Flunarizine