ADENOSINE A(1) RECEPTORS IN THE RAT-BRAIN IN THE KINDLING MODEL OF EPILEPSY

Adenosine and adenosine analogues have potent anticonvulsant effects o n various seizure models, including kindling, an animal model of tempo ral lobe epilepsy. It is now reported that binding of a specific ligan d (cyclohexyladenosine) to adenosine A(1) receptors is not changed in the cerebral cortex of kindled rats. However, the affinity of cyclohex yladenosine to adenosine receptors is significantly increased in the h ippocampus. In addition, cyclohexyladenosine is slightly more potent t o inhibit [H-3]D-aspartate outflow from hippocampal synaptosomes taken from kindled than from control rats. Taken together, these data sugge st that an increased affinity of adenosine to A(1) receptors may play a role in the anticonvulsant effect of adenosine A(1) analogues in the kindling model.