AYYILDIZ, Mustafa/0000-0002-6594-3080; Ankarali, Seyit/0000-0003-3752-0846; Yildirim, Mehmet/0000-0003-1798-5478WOS: 000293206400003PubMed: 21731075In this study, the influence of nitric oxide (NO) and adenosine systems on penicillin-induced epileptiform activity was examined in rats. NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 50 mu g/rat, i.c.v.) reduced the frequency but not the amplitude of epileptiform discharges. Non-selective NOS inhibitor, N-omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 mu g/rat, i.c.v.) practically did not exert any effect on the spike frequency and amplitude. Adenosine (100 mu g/rat, i.c.) reduced spike frequency but not the amplitude, whereas theophylline (100 mu g/rat, i.c.v.) increased the mean spike frequency and amplitude of penicillin-induced epileptiform discharges. Co-injection of theophylline and L-NAME did not cause a further increase in the epileptiform activity compared with theophylline. When NO production was blocked with L-NAME, the inhibitory effects of adenosine were lost. The obtained results suggest that NO and adenosine may decrease penicillin-induced epileptiform activity in rats and that NO, at least in part, may mediate the anticonvulsant effect of adenosine.Committee for Scientific Research of Ondokuz Mayis UniversityOndokuz Mayis University [T235, T389]The authors would like to thank Prof Dr Yuksel Bek for the statistical analysis and Dr Leslie Scarth for help in polishing the English. This study was supported by the Committee for Scientific Research of Ondokuz Mayis University (Grant no: T235 and T389)
