Effect of taurine on seizures induced by 4-aminopyridine

✍ Scribed by H. Pasantes-Morales; M. E. Arzate

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1981
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 641 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0360-4012
• DOI: 10.1002/jnr.490060404

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The effect of intraperitoneally injected taurine against the convulsive activity induced by 4‐aminopyridine (4‐AP) was studied in 12‐ to 15‐day‐old mice. At a dose of 2.6 mg/kg, taurine increased the latency of clonic seizures from 7 to 20 minutes, reduced the incidence of tonic seizures from 92% to 30% and the postconvulsive mortality from 80% to 31%. The injection of EDTA prior to the administration of taurine prevented the protective effect of the amino acid. GABA and glycine at the same doses did not protect against 4‐AP‐induced seizures. 4‐AP caused a small increase (19%) in ^45^Ca accumulation by mice brain synaptosomes incubated in a Krebs‐HEPES medium containing low CaCl~2~ (0.1 mM) and also slightly potentiated the veratrine and potassium‐induced increase in calcium accumulation. 4‐AP at concentrations of 1–2 mM caused a marked increase (100%–500%) of ^45^Ca acculation by synaptosomes incubated in a Krebs‐bicarbonate medium containing 2.5 mM CaCl~2~. This increase was completely antagonized by taurine but not by GABA or glycine. The present observations suggest that the anticonvulsant effect of taurine might be mediated by 4‐AP‐calcium‐taurine interactions.