Anticonvulsant property of N-salicyloyltryptamine: Evidence of enhance of central GABAergic neurotransmission

Abstract

Aim: In the present study we verified the anticonvulsant properties of the new tryptamine analogue, N-salicyloyltryptamine (NST), in rodents. Methods and Results: In the evaluation of the anticonvulsant activity, NST protected the animals from the incidence of seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and picrotoxin (PIC), in doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg. NST (100 and 200 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly eliminated the extensor reflex of maximal electric-induced seizure tests in 40% of the experimental animals. However, in the PTZ model FLU (10 mg/kg, i.p.), an antagonist of the benzodiazepine (BZD) site in the GABA A-BZD receptor complex, inhibited the prolongation of seizure latency induced by NST. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated an anticonvulsant activity of the new analogue that could be, at least in part, associated to the involvement of the GABAergic mechanism.