title: Effect of aminophylline on the protective action of common antiepileptic drugs against electroconvulsions in mice.
abstract: The increasing amount of data tends to suggest that adenosine-mediated inhibition may play a role in the anticonvulsant activity of a number of antiepileptic drugs. Consequently, we tried to reverse the protective action of acetazolamide [(40 and 80 mg/kg) i.p.; 60 min before the test]; carbamazepine (20 and 30 mg/kg i.p., 60 min); diazepam (5 and 10 mg/kg i.p., 60 min); diphenylhydantoin (8 and 12 mg/kg i.p., 120 min), phenobarbital (20 and 30 mg/kg i.p., 120 min) and valproate (200 and 300 mg/kg i.p., 30 min) with aminophylline (50 and 100 mg/kg i.p., 30 min) against electroconvulsions in mice. Aminophylline markedly decreased the anticonvulsant efficacy of almost all drugs studied, acetazolamide (40 and 80 mg/kg) and carbamazepine (30 mg/kg) being the only exceptions. The ethylenediamine component of aminophylline did not modify the anticonvulsant activity at all. These results seem to support the suggestion that aminophylline-induced blockade of adenosine receptors might be involved in the reversal of the protective action of at least some drugs studied. Regardless of the nature of the aminophylline-induced impairment in the anticonvulsant efficacy of a number of antiepileptic drugs, the use of methylxanthines in epileptic patients for the treatment of obstructive lung diseases should be avoided.
mesh_terms: D000628:Aminophylline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005029:Ethylenediamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D005029:Ethylenediamines; D000628:Aminophylline; C031234:ethylenediamine; D014635:Valproic Acid; D010672:Phenytoin; D001640:Bicuculline; D010634:Phenobarbital