Gabapentin suppresses cortical spreading depression susceptibility

✍ Scribed by Hoffmann, Ulrike; Dileköz, Ergin; Kudo, Chiho; Ayata, Cenk

• Book ID: 109871618
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 253 KB
• Volume: 30
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0271-678X
• DOI: 10.1038/jcbfm.2010.92

✦ Synopsis

Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is an intense depolarization wave implicated in the pathophysiology of brain injury states and migraine aura. As Ca~v~2.1 channels modulate CSD susceptibility, we tested gabapentin, which inhibits Ca~v~2.1 through high-affinity binding to its α~2~δ subunit, on CSD susceptibility in anesthetized rats. Gabapentin, 100 or 200 mg/kg, elevated the electrical threshold for CSD and diminished recurrent CSDs evoked by topical KCl, when administered 1 hour before testing. With its favorable safety and tolerability profile, gabapentin may have a role in suppression of injury depolarizations in stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, and traumatic brain injury.