title: Role of nitric oxide in electroshock and pentylenetetrazole seizure threshold in rats.
abstract: There are contradictory reports on whether nitric oxide (NO) is a proconvulsant or anticonvulsant. Hence a study was designed to investigate the effect of NO donor l-Arginine and NO synthesis inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine (NOARG) on electroshock- and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizure threshold in rats. L-arginine was tested in three doses (75, 150 and 300 mg/kg), and NOARG was administered in doses of 4, 8 and 16 mg/kg. L-Arginine increased the intensity of current required to produce a threshold seizure, whereas NOARG had the opposite effect. In PTZ-induced seizures, L-arginine significantly decreased the dose of PTZ required to produce a threshold seizure, while NOARG increased it. Hence, it was concluded that NO synthase inhibition had the opposite effect in electroshock- and PTZ-induced seizures, meriting further studies on the mechanism of effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nidhi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balakrishnan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pandhi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003292:Convulsants; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004597:Electroshock; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D051381:Rats; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D003292:Convulsants; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019335:Nitroarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole