Vigabatrin protects against kainic acid-induced neuronal damage in the rat hippocampus.
We studied the neuroprotective effect of vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl GABA, VGB) in the rat hippocampus after status epilepticus (SE) induced by kainic acid (KA). Rats were treated with VGB (500 or 1000 mg/kg, i.p.) 24 h before KA injection (9 mg/kg, i.p.). The lower dose of VGB had no effect on the generation or severity of convulsions. However, VGB decreased neuronal damage in the CA3a (P < 0.05) and CA1 (P < 0.01) subfields of the hippocampus. The higher dose of VGB attenuated the severity of convulsions (P < 0.05) but had no effect on the development or generalization of convulsions. This finding may have clinical implications in the prevention of neuronal damage induced by drug refractory seizures or SE.
D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016622:Silver Staining; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D020888:Vigabatrin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D020888:Vigabatrin; D007608:Kainic Acid