Effects of Nimodipine on Seizure Pattern and Electroencephalography of Penicillin-Induced Temporal Epileptic Rat

Hwang, Jang Hoe; Choi, Chang Rak

Abstract

In order to investigate the antiepileptic effects of calcium antagonist, nimodipine, we studied the changes of seizure pattern and electroencephalographic finding of the epileptic rats before and after nimodipine administration which were induced by stereotaxic instillation of penicillin solution into the right amygadala. 40 Sprague-Dowley rats were divided into 2 groups:the control group(n=10) which underwent craniectomy on the biparietal area and was instilled penicillin solution into the right amygdala on the basis of stereotaxic coordinates, and the experimental group(n=30) which was subdivided into 3 subgraups:nimodipine pre-treatment group(n=10), nimodipine 0 minute post-treatment group(n=10) and nimodipine 20 minutes post-treatment group(n=10) depending on the intraperitoneal administration time of nimodipine. The results were as follows; 1) In control group typical epileptiform discharges were noted at 3.4+/-1.9 mm after penicillin instillation and the frequency and amplitude of discharges were 9.8+/-2.2/sec, 25.0+/-3.9mm/50+/-microV. The degree of behavioral seizure was between stage IV and VI. 2) In nimodipine pre-treatment group, there was inhibitory effects of seizure development. The frequency and amplitude were significantly decreased and the degree of behavioral seizure was attenuated in comparison to that of control group. 3) There was no statistical difference in effects of penicillin induced seizure between nimodipine 0 minute, 20 minutes post-treatment and control group. This experiment provided that calcium antagonist showed inhibitory effects on the penicillin-induced epileptic rats, but did not prevent seizure propagation. And calcium currents might play a role to evoke seizure. Therefore calcium antagonist "nimodipine" might be beneficial to the treatment of patients with seizure.