Liraglutide chronic treatment prevents development of tolerance to antiseizure effects of diazepam in genetically epilepsy prone rats

Cenobamate enhances the anticonvulsant effect of other antiseizure medications in the DBA/2 mouse model of reflex epilepsy

Clinical studies documented that cenobamate (CNB) has a marked efficacy compared to other antiseizure medications (ASMs) in reducing focal seizures. To date, different aspects of CNB need to be clarified, including its efficacy against generalized seizures. Similarly, the pattern of drug-drug interactions between CNB and other ASMs also compels further investigation. This study aimed to detect the role of CNB on generalized seizures using the DBA/2 mouse model. We have also studied the effects of an adjunctive CNB treatment on the antiseizure properties of some ASMs against reflex seizures. The effects of this adjunctive treatment on motor performance, body temperature, and brain levels of ASMs were also evaluated. CNB was able to antagonize seizures in DBA/2 mice. CNB, at 5 mg/kg, enhanced the antiseizure activity of ASMs, such as diazepam, clobazam, levetiracetam, perampanel, phenobarbital, topiramate, and valproate. No synergistic effects were observed when CNB was co-administered with some Na+ channel blockers. The increase in antiseizure activity was associated with a comparable intensification in motor impairment; however, the therapeutic index of combined treatment of ASMs with CNB was more favorable than the combination with vehicle except for carbamazepine, phenytoin, and oxcarbazepine. Since CNB did not significantly influence the brain levels of the ASMs studied, we suggest that pharmacokinetic interactions seem not probable. Overall, this study shows the ability of CNB to counteract generalized reflex seizures in mice. Moreover, our data documented an evident synergistic antiseizure effect for the combination of CNB with ASMs including phenobarbital, benzodiazepines, valproate, perampanel, topiramate, and levetiracetam.

An In Vivo Electroencephalographic Analysis of the Effect of Riluzole against Limbic and Absence Seizure and Comparison with Glutamate Antagonists

BACKGROUND

Riluzole (RLZ) has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in several neurological disorders. These neuroprotective effects seem to be mainly due to its ability to inhibit the excitatory glutamatergic neurotransmission, acting on different targets located both at the presynaptic and postsynaptic levels.

METHODS

In the present study, we evaluated the effects of Riluzole (RLZ) against limbic seizures, induced by AMPA, kainate, and NMDA receptor agonists in Sprague-Dawley rats, and in a well-validated genetic model of absence epilepsy, the WAG/Rij rat. Furthermore, in this latter model, we also studied the effect of RLZ in co-administration with the competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, CPP, or the non-competitive AMPA receptor antagonist, THIQ-10c, on spike-wave discharges (SWDs) in WAG/Rij rats, to understand the potential involvement of AMPA and NMDA receptors in the anti-absence effect of RLZ.

RESULTS

In Sprague-Dawley rats, RLZ pretreatment significantly reduced the limbic seizure severity induced by glutamatergic agonists, suggesting an antagonism of RLZ mainly on NMDA rather than non-NMDA receptors. RLZ also reduced SWD parameters in WAG/Rij rats. Interestingly, the co-administration of RLZ with CPP did not increase the anti-absence activity of RLZ in this model, advocating a competitive effect on the NMDA receptor. In contrast, the co-administration of RLZ with THIQ-10c induced an additive effect against absence seizure in WAG/Rij rats.

CONCLUSIONS

these results suggest that the antiepileptic effects of RLZ, in both seizure models, can be mainly due to the antagonism of the NMDA glutamatergic receptors.

Rodent Models of Audiogenic Epilepsy: Genetic Aspects, Advantages, Current Problems and Perspectives

Animal models of epilepsy are of great importance in epileptology. They are used to study the mechanisms of epileptogenesis, and search for new genes and regulatory pathways involved in the development of epilepsy as well as screening new antiepileptic drugs. Today, many methods of modeling epilepsy in animals are used, including electroconvulsive, pharmacological in intact animals, and genetic, with the predisposition for spontaneous or refractory epileptic seizures. Due to the simplicity of manipulation and universality, genetic models of audiogenic epilepsy in rodents stand out among this diversity. We tried to combine data on the genetics of audiogenic epilepsy in rodents, the relevance of various models of audiogenic epilepsy to certain epileptic syndromes in humans, and the advantages of using of rodent strains predisposed to audiogenic epilepsy in current epileptology.