Potassium currents in rat cortical neurons in culture are enhanced by the antiepileptic drug carbamazepine.
We report that carbamazepine (Tegretol), a drug that is useful for the treatment of complex partial seizures, enhances outward, voltage-dependent K+ currents generated by rat neocortical cells in culture and recorded with patch-clamping techniques. This effect is seen in the presence of therapeutic concentrations of carbamazepine (10-20 microM). Furthermore, at these doses carbamazepine does not influence voltage-dependent inward Na+ and Ca2+ currents recorded in these cells. The action exerted by carbamazepine on K+ currents is a novel finding and might represent an important mechanism for controlling neocortical excitability and thus the generation of epileptiform activity.
Zona
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Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale o Scienze Biochimiche, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Italy.
Tancredi
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Palma
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Pirrone
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GC
Avoli
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D015761:4-Aminopyridine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
D015221:Potassium Channels; D002104:Cadmium; D002220:Carbamazepine; D000431:Ethanol; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D012964:Sodium; D015761:4-Aminopyridine; D002118:Calcium