picrotoxinin and Seizures

A series of twenty two (E)-N-cinnamoyl aminoalkanols derivatives monosubstituted in phenyl ring with 4-Cl, 4-CH

Topics: Amino Alcohols; Animals; Anticonvulsants; Crystallography, X-Ray; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electroshock; Mice; Models, Molecular; Molecular Structure; Rats; Seizures; Structure-Activity Relationship

Loreclezole is an anticonvulsant and anxiolytic compound which has been reported to potentiate GABA via a novel allosteric site on the beta-subunit of the receptor. We have now studied in rats both the in vivo and in vitro pharmacology of the compound. The dose of loreclezole required to increase by 50% the dose of intravenous pentylenetetrazol eliciting a seizure was comparable to that of barbiturates and chlormethiazole (in mg/kg): diazepam, 1.3; pentobarbitone, 16; chlormethiazole, 22; loreclezole, 25; pentobarbitone, 36. Loreclezole dose-dependently decreased locomotion (dose to decrease locomotion by 50% (in mg/kg): chlormethiazole, 9; pentobarbitone, 16; loreclezole, 25). Loreclezole, chlormethiazole and pentobarbitone all failed to displace [3H]muscimol and [3H]flunitrazepam binding from a rat cortical membrane preparation. All three compounds fully displaced [35S]TBPS binding (IC50 values: loreclezole, 4.34 +/- 0.68 microM; pentobarbitone, 37.39 +/- 3.24 microM; chlormethiazole, 82.10 +/- 8.52 microM). Addition of bicuculline (10 microM) produced a major rightward shift in the loreclezole and pentobarbitone displacement curves, increasing IC50 values for [35S]TBPS binding by 25 times (loreclezole), 6 times (pentobarbitone) and 2.7 times (chlormethiazole), suggesting a greater involvement of GABA in the interaction of loreclezole with the chloride channel than in the case of chlormethiazole. Anticonvulsant activity of the compounds did not appear to relate to [35S]TBPS binding activity. Other binding data suggested that although the evidence of others indicates that loreclezole interacts with a specific allosteric site on the beta-subunit, it nevertheless also alters the binding characteristics of other modulatory sites.

Topics: Allosteric Regulation; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Brain Chemistry; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; Cerebral Cortex; Chlormethiazole; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; GABA Modulators; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Male; Muscle Relaxation; Pentobarbital; Picrotoxin; Rats; Receptors, GABA-A; Seizures; Sesterterpenes; Triazoles

Control over stress protects against many of the deleterious effects of stress exposure, but the endogenous mediators responsible for these prophylactic effects have remained elusive. Using behavioral pharmacology, in vitro radioligand binding and neurochemical analyses, we demonstrate that exposure to escapable stress results in brain and behavior changes reminiscent of benzodiazepine administration. The stress control group shows significant protection against picrotoxinin-induced seizures, reductions in [35S]t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate (TBPS) binding and a 3-fold increase of benzodiazepine-like substances in brain in comparison to both yoked-inescapable shock and non-shock controls. These observations suggest that coping behavior leads to the release of endogenous benzodiazepine-like compounds in brain which protect the organism from stress pathology.

Topics: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Brain; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; Cerebral Cortex; Convulsants; Electroshock; Escape Reaction; Flumazenil; GABA-A Receptor Agonists; Hippocampus; Male; Picrotoxin; Radioligand Assay; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, GABA-A; Seizures; Sesterterpenes; Stress, Psychological; Strychnine; Sulfur Radioisotopes; Tritium

The convulsant profile of lindane was investigated in OF1 and NMRI mice lines in relation to other convulsants acting at the GABAA and NMDA receptor complexes. Thus, a specific GABA-gated chloride channel blocker, PTX, a GABAA receptor antagonist, PTZ, and an excitatory amino acid receptor agonist, NMDA, were used. Antagonism of the convulsant effects of each of these drugs was investigated with (+)MK-801, a blocker of the NMDA-operated cation channel, and with nifedipine, a voltage-dependent calcium channel antagonist. While no differences in potency for PTX or PTZ to induce seizures were observed between OF1 and NMRI mice, lindane was approximately 80 and 90% more potent in its ability to induce seizures and lethality, respectively, in OF1 than in NMRI mice. Brain lindane concentrations at the moment of convulsion, measured after ED100 doses of lindane (400 and 200 mg/kg for NMRI and OF1 mice, respectively), did not differ between OF1 and NMRI mice, suggesting that the different potency of lindane between these mouse lines is a consequence of pharmacokinetic factors. Furthermore, (+)MK-801 antagonized seizures induced by either lindane, PTX or PTZ with similar potencies in both mouse lines. These results, coupled with the different pharmacokinetics of lindane in OF1 and NMRI mice, suggest that the distinct effects of lindane in these mice are not mediated by different activities at either NMDA or GABAA receptor complexes. Nonetheless, nifedipine antagonized lindane-induced seizures with a three-fold higher potency in NMRI than in OF1 mice. In contrast, nifedipine failed to antagonize PTX and PTZ convulsions in both OF1 and NMRI mice. These results suggest that besides the GABAA receptor complex other mechanisms related to calcium mobilization may be involved in the convulsant action of lindane.

Topics: Animals; Anticonvulsants; Calcium Channel Blockers; Convulsants; Dizocilpine Maleate; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Hexachlorocyclohexane; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; N-Methylaspartate; Nifedipine; Pentylenetetrazole; Picrotoxin; Seizures; Sesterterpenes; Species Specificity

We investigated whether the interoceptive discriminative stimulus (IDS) arising from ethanol withdrawal was related to decreased activity of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system by determining whether the sensitivity of rats to the GABA antagonists was altered by chronic treatment with ethanol. Rats were trained to obtain food reward by responding on one lever following pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) and the other lever following saline. Whereas all of the trained rats selected the PTZ-appropriate lever after PTZ, no more than 50% of them selected this lever following an optimum dose of bicuculline or picrotoxinin. After either saline or diazepam (5 mg/kg), all of the rats selected the saline-appropriate lever. Ethanol (0.24 mol/kg/day) was then administered to the rats for 4 days via a nutritionally balanced liquid diet. Between 48 and 96 hours postethanol, 30% of the rats selected the PTZ-appropriate lever following saline, whereas selection of this lever was increased to 80% following either bicuculline or picrotoxinin. Thus, further antagonism of GABAergic activity increased the subjective effect of ethanol withdrawal. These data support the hypothesis that the PTZ-like IDS produced during withdrawal from ethanol is related to an ethanol-induced deficit in the activity of the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor-coupled chloride channel.

Topics: Animals; Anxiety; Bicuculline; Discrimination Learning; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethanol; GABA Antagonists; Male; Pentylenetetrazole; Picrotoxin; Rats; Seizures; Sesterterpenes; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome

The syntheses of the 5 beta and 5 alpha epimers of trans-(4a alpha,8a beta)-decahydroquinoline-5-carboxylic acids (3 and 4) from vinylogous bicyclic imide 10 are described. The reduction of trans-5-(1,3-dithian-2-ylidene)octahydro-2(1H)-quinolinone (13) to afford the 5 alpha-(1,3-dithian-2-yl) compound 16 was a key step in the synthesis of trans-4 while hydroboration-H2O2 treatment of phenylmethyl trans-octahydro-5-methylene-1(2H)-quinolinecarboxylate (21) to afford the 5 beta-hydroxymethyl compound 22 was a key step in the synthesis of 3. These trans diastereomers 3 and 4 and the previously prepared cis analogues 1 and 2 were investigated for their ability to interact with GABAA and GABAB receptors and picrotoxin binding sites as well as with neuronal GABA transport systems in brain tissue. Like 1 and 2, tonic-clonic seizures were induced when trans-3 or -4 were administered to mice intracerebroventricularly. Only trans-4 weakly inhibited [3H]GABA binding to GABAA and GABAB receptors in vitro. Large doses (10 mg/kg) of diazepam reversed the convulsant activity of both trans-3 and trans-4. Although trans-3 is the more potent convulsant, trans-4 may have GABA antagonist activity in vivo. However, none of the decahydroquinoline diastereomers have a pronounced effect on GABA receptors that can currently be studied in vitro. Results obtained in vivo lead us to propose that these diastereoisomers may serve as unique conformational probes relating certain zwitterionic topographies to stimulatory activity in the central nervous system.

Topics: Animals; Brain; Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry; Cyclic AMP; Diazepam; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Mice; Quinolines; Rats; Receptors, GABA-A; Seizures; Stereoisomerism