Antiepileptogenic effects of the novel synthetic neuroactive steroid,ganaxolone, against pentylenetetrazol-induced kindled seizures: Comparison with diazepam and valproate

Pharmacological treatment of epilepsy is often unsatisfactory due to side effects and the lack of drugs that control the progressive epileptogenic process. Modulation of inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurotransmission by synthetic agonists of the neuroactive steroid binding site on the GABA_A receptor complex is one approach toward the identification of improved antiepileptic agents. In this study, antiepileptogenic and anticonvulsive effects of the novel synthetic neuroactive steroid, ganaxolone (3α-hydroxy-3β-methyl-5α-pregnan-20-one), were evaluated in comparison with diazepam and valproate against pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced kindled seizures in mice. Kindled seizures provide a model of the progressive epileptogenic process. Successive administration of 45 mg/kg PTZ on days 1, 3, 5, 8, and 10 resulted in the rapid development of kindled seizures and significant reductions in thresholds for clonic convulsions, tonic convulsions, and lethality induced by PTZ on day 10. Ganaxolone, diazepam, and valproate dose-dependently protected against clonic convulsions induced by acute submaximal dose of PTZ (70 mg/kg). The compounds also dose-dependently suppressed fully kindled seizures and blocked the expression of kindled seizures over successive treatments with PTZ (45 mg/kg). Relative to acute anticonvulsive potencies against 70 mg/kg PTZ, however, ganaxolone was more potent than valproate or diazepam against fully kindled seizures and in blocking the expression of kindled seizures over successive treatments with PTZ. Importantly, only ganaxolone demonstrated antiepileptogenic activity by blocking the development of kindling, as evidenced when PTZ was administered in the absence of anticonvulsant treatments. Both diazepam and valproate failed to prevent development of kindled seizures even at doses that fully suppressed motor expression of seizures during kindling acquisition. Unlike diazepam and valproate, ganaxolone did not impair ambulatory activity within the dose range used in this study. These data, taken in conjunction with other findings on the unique pharmacological actions of ganaxolone, predict an improvement in the pharmacological management of epilepsy with this synthetic neuroactive steroid. Drug Dev. Res. 44:21–33, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc. This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.