Anticonvulsant and hypnotic effects of amiodarone.
Amiodarone hydrochloride is a potent anti-arrhythmic agent, known as a multiple ion-channel blocker in the heart. Although it has been detected in the rat brain, there are no data related to its central nervous system (CNS) effects. In this study, we evaluated anticonvulsant and hypnotic effects of amiodarone. Convulsions were induced by phentylenetetrazole (PTZ) (100 mg/kg) or caffeine (300 mg/kg) in mice. In both models, amiodarone prolonged both latency period and time to death, and acted as an anticonvulsant drug. It was found to be more effective in the PTZ model than in the caffeine model; none of the animals treated with 150 mg/kg dose amiodarone had died in the PTZ model. For hypnotic effect, sleeping was induced with pentobarbital (35 mg/kg) in rats. Amiodarone dose-dependently increased the sleeping time (677.7%-725.9%). In the sleeping test, all rats in 200 mg/kg amiodarone group died. In conclusion, anticonvulsant and hypnotic effects of amiodarone have shown the depressant effects on CNS. These effects may be dependent on its pharmacological properties.
Department of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, Karaelmas University, 67 600 Zonguldak, Turkey. gunnurozbakis@mynet.com
Gunnur
G
Ozbakis-Dengiz
Aysegul
A
Bakirci
D000638:Amiodarone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D012640:Seizures / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D000638:Amiodarone