title: Central effect of the potent long-acting H1-antihistamine levocabastine.
abstract: The effects of levocabastine (R 50 547; CAS 79516-68-0) on the central nervous system were studied in comparison with those of diphenhydramine, ketotifen and azelastine. At high doses, levocabastine caused a decrease in locomotor activity, prolongation of thiopental-induced sleep, depression of acetic acid-induced writhing in mice and inhibition of active avoidance response in rats, but these adverse effects were much less potent than those seen in diphenhydramine, ketotifen and azelastine. Oxotremorine-induced tremor and salivation in mice were delayed after extremely high dosage of levocabastine; however, these were much less effective than those seen after diphenhydramine and ketotifen. Levocabastine did not affect the tonic extensor seizure induced by maximal electroshock in mice which is different from that of diphenhydramine. In EEG analysis, levocabastine at a dose of 20 mg/kg caused no significant changes in the EEG recorded from the frontal cortex, occipital cortex, hippocampus and amygdala in rats with chronic electrodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tasaka
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kamei
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsujimoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aoki
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010095:Oxotremorine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012472:Salivation / Q000187:drug effects; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects; D013874:Thiopental / Q000494:pharmacology; D014202:Tremor / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D010880:Piperidines; D010095:Oxotremorine; C047340:levocabastine; D013874:Thiopental