ergoline and Epilepsy

Topics: Adult; Age Factors; Brain Diseases; Child; Child, Preschool; Diagnosis, Differential; Electroencephalography; Epilepsy; Ergolines; Ergotamine; Female; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Hypothalamus; Maleates; Methysergide; Migraine Disorders; Personality; Serotonin; Stress, Psychological; Time Factors

Emotional disturbances, depressive mood, anxiety, aggressive behavior, and memory impairment are the common psychiatric features associated with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The present study was carried out to investigate the role of Bacopa monnieri extract in hippocampus of pilocarpine-induced temporal lobe epileptic rats through the 5-HT(2C) receptor in relation to depression. Our results showed upregulation of 5-HT(2C) receptors with a decreased affinity in hippocampus of pilocarpine-induced epileptic rats. Also, there was an increase in 5-HT(2C) gene expression and inositol triphosphate content in epileptic hippocampus. Carbamazepine and B. monnieri treatments reversed the alterations in 5-HT(2C) receptor binding, gene expression, and inositol triphosphate content in treated epileptic rats as compared to untreated epileptic rats. The forced swim test confirmed the depressive behavior pattern during epilepsy that was nearly completely reversed by B. monnieri treatment.

Topics: Animals; Anticonvulsants; Bacopa; Carbamazepine; Disease Models, Animal; Epilepsy; Ergolines; Hippocampus; Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate; Male; Pilocarpine; Plant Preparations; Protein Binding; Radioligand Assay; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C; Serotonin Antagonists; Statistics, Nonparametric; Swimming; Tritium; Up-Regulation

Previous studies have shown that mice bearing a targeted disruption of the 5-HT2C receptor gene exhibit an epilepsy syndrome associated with sporadic spontaneous seizures that occasionally result in death. In this study, we have defined the seizure susceptibility profiles of these 5-HT2C receptor mutant mice backcrossed onto a C57BL/6 background. Wild-type and mutant animals were either electrically kindled from the olfactory bulb, exposed to corneal electroshock, or tested with the chemoconvulsant, flurothyl. In all paradigms, mice lacking the 5-HT2C receptor were significantly more seizure susceptible than wild-type controls. Results indicate that mutants have lower focal seizure thresholds, increased focal seizure excitability, and facilitated propagation within the forebrain seizure system. Mutants also exhibit lower generalized seizure thresholds for the expression of both generalized clonic and generalized tonic seizures. Importantly, the 5-HT receptor antagonist, mesulergine (2 or 4 mg/kg), administered prior to electroshock testing, recapitulated the mutant phenotype in wild-type mice. Together, these data strongly implicate a role for serotonin and 5-HT2C receptors in the modulation of neuronal network excitability and seizure propagation globally, throughout the CNS.

Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Brain Chemistry; Convulsants; Cornea; Disease Susceptibility; Dopamine Agonists; Electroshock; Epilepsies, Myoclonic; Epilepsy; Ergolines; Flurothyl; Kindling, Neurologic; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred DBA; Mice, Knockout; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C; Receptors, Serotonin

A previous study demonstrated a dopamine D1 receptor-dependent inhibition of zero Mg(2+)-induced epileptiform discharges in the rat cingulate cortex slice suspended in a grease-gap bath. This investigation considers the role of dopamine D2 receptors in the modulation of paroxysmal activity in this in vitro model. Some 123 of 143 slices exhibited spontaneous paroxysmal depolarizations, which in 105 cases were accompanied by secondary depolarizing after-potentials (SDAPs). In 43.5% of slices tested, dopamine preferentially and irreversibly facilitated SDAP production at low bath concentrations (1-100 microM), but at concentrations > 100 microM suppressed all components of the epileptiform responses. Similar dose-related bimodal responses were obtained with the D2 agonists LY 171555, PHNO and 7-OH-DPAT, but not with lisuride or RU 24213, which were exclusively inhibitory. The excitatory response to LY 171555 was attenuated by the D2 antagonist raclopride (2 microM), but not by the D1 antagonist SCH 39166 (0.5 microM). On the other occasions, the sole effect of dopamine (56.5% of slices) and the other D2 agonists, was to preferentially suppress SDAP number at low concentrations (1-100 microM) and to suppress all parameters of the epileptiform response at higher concentrations. The inhibitory effect of the D2 agonist LY 171555 on SDAP formation was paradoxically attenuated by the D1 antagonist SCH 39166, but not by the D2 antagonist raclopride. These results support the notion that dopamine can modulate epileptiform activity differentially, through its actions at D1 and D2 receptors. The possibility that these effects of dopamine may be mediated indirectly is discussed.

Topics: Animals; Benzazepines; Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists; Epilepsy; Ergolines; Evoked Potentials; Female; Gyrus Cinguli; In Vitro Techniques; Lisuride; Magnesium; Male; Oxazines; Phenethylamines; Quinpirole; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, Dopamine D1; Receptors, Dopamine D2; Tetrahydronaphthalenes

The effect of the intravenous administration of ergot alkaloids on epileptic responses to intermittent photic stimulation )IPS) has been studied in adolescent baboons, Papio papio, from Senegal. Ergocornine, 1--2 mg/kg, produced marked autonomic and behavioural effects, slowed the EEG, and abolished myoclonic responses to IPS for 30--90 min. Ergometrine, 1 mg/kg, activated the EEG and blocked the induction of myoclonic responses for 1--3 h. Bromocriptine, 0.5--4 mg/kg, did not consistently prevent myoclonic responses to IPS. After pretreatment with a subconvulsant dose of allylglycine (180--200 mg/kg), lysergic acid diethylamide, 0.1 mg/kg, retained the capacity to block myoclonic responses to IPS, and ergocornine 1 mg/kg reduced such responses. The convulsant effect of allylglycine was enhanced, however, so that prolonged seizure sequences began 19--96 min after ergocornine administration. The protective action of ergot alkaloids against epileptic responses induced by sensory stimulation is interpreted in terms of effects at several sites, including dopaminergic and serotoninergic synapses.

Topics: Allyl Compounds; Animals; Bromocriptine; Dopamine; Electroencephalography; Epilepsy; Ergolines; Ergonovine; Ergot Alkaloids; Haplorhini; Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; Papio; Photic Stimulation

Topics: Cerebral Cortex; Electroencephalography; Epilepsy; Ergolines; Humans; Mental Disorders; Nicergoline

Topics: Amphetamine; Animals; Apomorphine; Cobalt; Dopamine; Electroencephalography; Epilepsy; Ergolines; Male; Rats; Receptors, Adrenergic; Spiperone; Stimulation, Chemical

Topics: Brain Diseases; Chlorpromazine; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; Electroencephalography; Epilepsy; Ergolines; Humans; Iproniazid; Parasympatholytics