Anticonvulsant action of gabapentin during postnatal development in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To study the anticonvulsant effects of gabapentin (GBP) in immature animals.


METHODS
Motor seizures were induced by pentylenetetrazol in 7-, 12-, 18-, 25-day-old, and adult rats. Animals pretreated with GBP (15, 30, or 60 mg/kg i.p.) were compared with controls. The incidence and latency of two types of seizures [minimal (i.e., clonic)] and generalized tonic-clonic (GTCS) were recorded, and seizure severity was scored.


RESULTS
GBP suppressed or at least restricted the tonic phase of GTCS at all the developmental stages studied. In addition, minimal seizures were suppressed in 18-day-old rats. Both effects exhibited a tendency to a U-shaped dose-response curve.


CONCLUSIONS
Anticonvulsant effects of GBP were demonstrated in immature and in adult rats.
Mares
P
P
Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague.
Haugvicová
R
R
D000085:Acetates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000588:Amines; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D000077206:Gabapentin; D008297:Male; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
D000085:Acetates; D000588:Amines; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole