Amantadine restores impulse conduction across demyelinated nerve segments.
1. Drugs can be identified that relieve clinical symptoms of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis based on their ability to alter voltage-dependent ion channels in membranes and restore conduction in demyelinated nerve. Beneficial drugs either slow inactivation of membrane Na+ channels or block K+ channels. 2. Amantadine, an antiviral drug that slows Na+ inactivation in Myxicola giant axons, restores conduction in frog and rat sciatic nerves partially demyelinated by disruption of the perineurium (the 'perineurial window') loose ligatures, or lysolecithin. 3. A positive effect of amantadine on several different animal models supports the need for clinically oriented studies of amantadine and related inactivation-blocking agents in diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000547:Amantadine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000187:drug effects; D011892:Rana catesbeiana; D011894:Rana pipiens; D051381:Rats; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects
D000547:Amantadine