Effect of acute versus chronic theophylline administration on acute restraint stress-induced increase of pentylenetetrazol seizure threshold in mice

Various stressful paradigms were found to induce anticonvulsant effects in different seizure models. Methylxanthines, such as theophylline might contribute to the reduction of restraint-induced stress. Therefore, in this study the influence of acute restraint stress on pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) seizure thresholds as well as the effect of acute and chronic theophylline pretreatment on stress-induced modulation of the seizure threshold were assessed in mice. The onset of the three consecutive seizure phases: myoclonic twitch (MTW), generalized clonus (GNCL) and tonic hind limb extension (THE) was delayed after exposure to a 2 h restraint stress by 34%, 23% and 24%, respectively. In nonstressed mice, acute theophylline injection (100 mg/kg, i.p.) decreased the threshold only for THE. However, in stressed animals, the pretreatment with the methylxanthine significantly enhanced the dose of the convulsant producing the same seizure phase. In nonstressed mice, long-term theophylline treatment (50 mg/kg, twice daily for 14 days) increased PTZ threshold for all three seizure phases. In contrast, in chronically treated with theophylline mice exposed to restraint stress, significant decrease in the PTZ threshold for all seizure phases compared to control stressed animals have been observed. These results suggest that, depending on the treatment regimen (acute versus chronic), theophylline specifically and differentially modulates the anticonvulsant effect of restraint stress in mice.