KAINATE AMPA RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS ARE ANTICONVULSANT AGAINST THE TONIC HINDLIMB COMPONENT OF PENTYLENETETRAZOL-INDUCED SEIZURES IN DEVELOPING RATS

Non-NMDA receptor antagonists CNQX, DNQX, and NBQX (10-40 mg/kg IP) we re tested against pentylenetetrazol-induced (100 mg/kg SC) seizures in 7 to 90-day-old rats. All three drugs significantly decreased the inc idence of tonic hindlimb component of tonic-clonic pentylenetetrazol s eizures, often in favor of increased incidence of forelimb tonus throu ghout development. In addition, in 7 to 25-day-old rats, DNQX and NBQX decreased the severity of seizures due to a decrease in total inciden ce of the tonic component of tonic-clonic seizures compared to age-mat ched controls. However, neither drug was able to consistently suppress the incidence or increase latency to onset of clonic and tonic-clonic pentylenetetrazol seizures. The data suggest that, during development , non-NMDA receptor transmission may play a role in the generation of the tonic component, but not in the generation of other components of pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures.