Involvement of nitric oxide and nitric oxide synthase activity in anticonvulsive action |
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Authors: | A R Jayakumar R Sujatha V Paul K Puviarasan R Jayakumar |
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Institution: | Department of Pharmacology, Dr. A.L.M. Postgraduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Taramani, Chennai, India. |
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Abstract: | The anticonvulsant drug Diazepam (DIA-2 mg/kg b. wt), the nitric oxide (NO) donor L-Arginine (L-Arg-2000 mg/kg b. wt) and the putative nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N(G)-Nitro-L-Arginine methyl ester (L-NAME-50 mg/kg b. wt) were used to determine the role of endogenous NO on convulsions induced by picrotoxin (PCT-5 mg/kg b. wt) in rats. Rats given a convulsant dose of PCT (5 mg/kg b. wt) had convulsion and it suppresses the NOS activity and NO concentration in brain regions. The anticonvulsant L-Arg alone significantly increases the NO concentration and NOS activity in brain regions, but not diazepam. Whereas DIA, along with L-Arg, enhances the NO and NOS activity when compared to L-Arg alone. The combination of both OIA and L-Arg completely suppressed the convulsions. L-NAME alone had no effect to produce convulsions but it completely decreased NO concentration and NOS activity and potentiated the PCT convulsions. This was reverted by pre- and post treatment of DIA plus L-Arg indicating, the increased NO concentration and NOS activity in brain regions suppresses convulsions. |
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Keywords: | anticonvulsant therapy convulsion nitric oxide nitric oxide synthase diazepam arginine n(g) nitroarginine methyl ester |
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