NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF FELBAMATE ON GLOBAL-ISCHEMIA IN MONGOLIAN GERBILS

Felbamate is an antiepileptic drug whose action appears to occur mainl y through an interaction with neurotransmission mediated by excitatory amino acids, We assessed its effectiveness in a model of transient gl obal ischaemia in Mongolian gerbils, Dizocilpine (MK 801) was used for comparison. Treatment was given 10 min after transient forebrain isch aemia which was performed by occluding both common carotid arteries fo r 10 min. Felbamate (300 mg/kg i.p.) increased the number of surviving neurons in the CA1, CA2 and CA3 hippocampal cells. In particular, the CA1 area had a significantly higher number of surviving pyramidal neu rons than that of vehicle-treated animals (67+/-11 vs 33+/-6 surviving neurons/mm; P<0,05), No significant difference in density of survivin g neurons was observed between dizocilpine (3 mg/kg i.p.) and vehicle (54+/-10 vs 33+/-6 surviving neurons/mm). The EEG results indicated th at the effect of felbamate, used alone, is the same in the ischaemic-v ehicle group as non-ischaemic group. Our results show that felbamate e xerts neuroprotective effects in a model of severe cerebral ischaemia. (C) 1996 The Italian Pharmacological Society