title: Effects of opioid antagonists on anticonvulsant and hypnotic activity of benzodiazepines.
abstract: The influence of naloxone and naltrexone on the hypnotic and protective efficacy of diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, clonazepam and estazolam against electroshock- and pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures was studied in mice. Naloxone and naltrexone significantly decreased the anticonvulsant effects of diazepam and estazolam, but they did not changed that of chlordiazepoxide and clonazepam in electroshock-induced tonic hindlimb extension. Protective effects of benzodiazepines against pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures were slightly diminished by naloxone and naltrexone (16 mg/kg). Opioid antagonists were able to reduce the duration of benzodiazepines-induced sleep at high dose (32 mg/kg) only. These findings suggest that the endogenous opioid system may participate in antiepileptic effects of benzodiazepines but not in their hypnotic activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics, Medical Academy, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fidecka
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Langwiński
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D002998:Clonazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004597:Electroshock; D004949:Estazolam / Q000494:pharmacology; D018757:GABA Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D018757:GABA Modulators; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009270:Naloxone; D004949:Estazolam; D002998:Clonazepam; D009271:Naltrexone; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide; D003975:Diazepam; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole