Anticonvulsant action of gabapentin during postnatal development in rats

Abstract

Purpose: To study the anticonvulsant effects of gabapentin (GBP) in immature animals. Methods: Motor seizures were induced by pentylenetetrazol in 7-, 12-, 18-, 25-day-old, and adult rats. Animals pretreated with GBP (15, 30, or 60 mg/kg i.p.) were compared with controls. The incidence and latency of two types of seizures [minimal (i.e., clonic)] and generalized tonic- clonic (GTCS) were recorded, and seizure severity was scored. Results: GBP suppressed or at least restricted the tonic phase of GTCS at all the developmental stages studied. In addition, minimal seizures were suppressed in 18-day-old rats. Both effects exhibited a tendency to a U-shaped dose- response curve. Conclusions: Anticonvulsant effects of GBP were demonstrated in immature and in adult rats.