Sa. Joneshumble et al., THE NOVEL ANTICONVULSANT LAMOTRIGINE PREVENTS DOPAMINE DEPLETION IN C57 BLACK MICE IN THE MPTP ANIMAL-MODEL OF PARKINSONS-DISEASE, Life sciences, 54(4), 1994, pp. 245-252
The effect of the novel anticonvulsant Lamotrigine (LTG) was studied o
n 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induced dopamine
depletion in C57BL/6 mouse brain. Whole brain dopamine levels were me
asured by HPLC-ED 2 days after treatment with MPTP (15 mg/kg s.c.). Wh
ile LTG alone had no direct effect on dopamine levels at two hours or
two days after treatment, MPTP induced dopamine depletion was signific
antly less in mice pretreated with LTG (approximate ED50: 6 mg/kg). LT
G (38 mg/kg) was shown to completely protect against dopamine depletio
n when given 1 or 2 hours prior to MPTP administration. The effect of
LTG (38, 100 mg/kg) on MPTP toxicity was compared to the effects of th
e anticonvulsants phenytoin (67 mg/kg), carbamazepine (156 mg/kg), and
riluzole (33 mg/kg) and the Ca++ channel blocker nicardipine (0.1 mg/
kg). Only phenytoin and LTG showed significant protection against MPTP
. Results suggest LTG prevents MPTP induced dopamine depletion via a n
ovel mechanism.