Inhibition of pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures in rats by prostaglandin D2

Abstract

This study was undertaken to evaluate the role of brain PGD2 activity during PTZ induced seizures in rats. Potentiation of endogenous PGD2 activity caused an anti-convulsant effect. Thus, after PGD2 injection (5 microg/icv) the latency of generalized tonic clonic convulsions was prolonged. ZK 118.182, a stable analogue of PGD2, dose-dependently inhibited the incidence and the intensity of seizures when injected at doses of 1-100 ng/icv. But on the other hand, inhibition of PGD2 activity either by a D-type PG receptor antagonist (AH 6809; 50 ng/icv) or by a PGD synthase inhibitor (sodium selenite; 0.2 microg/icv) produced a proconvulsant effect by increasing the incidence and the intensity of the seizures. These findings indicate that endogenous PGD2 activity in the brain may have a specific inhibitory role for the initiation and propagation of PTZ induced seizures in rats.