Jasna Križ

The influence of nimodipine, nicardipine and amlodipine on the brain free fatty acid level in rats with penicillin-induced seizures

1. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the calcium channel blockers, nimodipine, nicardipine and amlodipine, on the brain free fatty acid (FFA) level in rats with chemically-induced seizures. 2. The study was carried out on Hannover-Wistar rats. Animals were anesthetized and placed in a stereotaxic apparatus. Each of them received an injection of penicillin (5000 IU/5 microliters) into the left lateral ventricle (i.c.v.). Various doses (1, 3, 10 or 30 mg/kg) of nimodipine, nicardipine or amlodipine had been injected i.p. 30 min before the penicillin application. The rats were decapitated 5 min after the occurrence of epileptic seizures. FFAs were quantified by gas chromatography using the internal standard method. 3. The results demonstrate that i.c.v. injection of penicillin was associated with significant increase in the brain FFA concentration. Tested doses of nicardipine and amlodipine did not influence the increase of the brain free palmitic, stearic, oleic and arachidonic acid level while nimodipine prevented the accumulation of free palmitic, oleic and arachidonic acid in rats with penicillin-induced seizures. Statistically insignificant decrease of steric acid was observed in animals pretreated with nimodipine. 4. It maybe assumed that the brain FFA accumulation caused by i.c.v. penicillin administration is not predominantly associated with a disturbance in calcium homeostasis via L-type voltage-sensitive calcium channels, but by some other membrane and/or intracellular mechanisms.