The anticonvulsant effects of vitamin E: a further evaluation.
Vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) has proven to be a useful adjunct to anticonvulsant drugs in clinical studies. Improvement has occurred even in patients with complex partial seizures, which are often resistant to drug therapy. In animals, vitamin E is effective against ferrous chloride seizures, hyperbaric oxygen seizures and penicillin-induced seizures. It has failed, however, to show anticonvulsant effects in the standard animal models used for drug screening--the maximal electroshock and threshold pentylenetetrazol tests. The present experiments were designed to further explore the anti-epileptic actions of vitamin E in animals. Three models related to complex partial epilepsy were used: 1) the development of amygdala-kindled seizures; 2) the development of electrically-induced status in kindled animals; and 3) the development of kainic-acid seizures. Vitamin E failed to produce significant effects in any of the models.
Levy
S L
SL
Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Burnham
W M
WM
Bishai
A
A
Hwang
P A
PA
D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D004597:Electroshock; D017029:Epilepsy, Complex Partial / Q000517:prevention & control; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D007608:Kainic Acid; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic; D008297:Male; D010406:Penicillins; D051381:Rats; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D010406:Penicillins; D014810:Vitamin E; C029451:ferrous chloride; D007608:Kainic Acid