title: Seizures induced by homocysteic acid in immature rats are prevented by group III metabotropic glutamate receptoragonist (R,S)-4-phosphonophenylglycine.
abstract: The potential anticonvulsant effect of group III metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist (R,S)-4-phosphonophenylglycine ((R,S)-PPG) against seizures induced in immature 12-day-old rats by bilateral intracerebroventricular (icv) infusion of DL-homocysteic acid (DL-HCA, 600 nmol/side) was examined in the present study. Rat pups were sacrificed during generalized clonic-tonic seizures, approximately 45 to 50 min after infusion. Comparable time intervals were used for sacrificing the pups which had received (R,S)-PPG. Low doses of (R,S)-PPG (10 nmol, icv) provided a pronounced anticonvulsant effect which was abolished by pretreatment with a selective group III mGluR antagonist (R,S)-alpha-methylserine-O-phosphate. Generalized clonic-tonic seizures were completely suppressed and cortical energy metabolite changes which normally accompany these seizures were either normalized (glucose and glycogen decreases) or markedly ameliorated (an accumulation of lactate). Despite the absence of obvious motor phenomena, EEG recordings revealed sporadic ictal activity, mostly in the dorsal hippocampus. Spreading of this activity into the frontal cortex was rather exceptional. The latency of ictal EEG in pretreated rats was significantly prolonged. Our data suggest that the predominant effect of (R,S)-PPG might concern seizure spread. The administration of (R,S)-PPG alone did not cause any overt behavioral side effects; it did not change the EEG pattern and did not influence cortical metabolite levels, with the exception of increased concentrations of glucose. The present findings suggest that group III mGlu receptor agonists may be of therapeutic significance for treating childhood epilepsies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Vídenská 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic. folbergr@biomed.cas.cz
authors.forename: Jaroslava
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Folbergrová
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haugvicová
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mares
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004569:Electroencephalography; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005998:Glycine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D010768:Phosphoserine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000819:agonists* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: C119327:4-phosphonophenylglycine; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; C120877:methylserine phosphate; D006710:Homocysteine; C007956:homocysteic acid; D010768:Phosphoserine; D005947:Glucose; D005998:Glycine