Effects of Anticonvulsive Drugs on Convulsions induced by Penicillin injected intracerebroventricularly in Mice

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Abstract
Intracerebroventricular injection of penicillin G potassium (17.5, 35, 50 and 75 .mu.g) produced clonic convulsions, tonic flexor and extensor convulsions, and death due to respiratory failure in mice. The convulsion pattern was similar to that by peripherally administered picrotoxin, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and bemegride; strychnine did not show marked tonic flexion. The tonic extension and death following penicillin increased in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of various anticonvulsive drugs on penicillin-induced convulsions was compared with that on fits produced by PTZ or maximal electric shock (MES). Both the tonic extension and death induced by 50 .mu.g of penicillin were prevented by the pretreatment with anticonvulsive drugs, phenytoin, phenobarbital, trimethadione, diazepam or mephenesin; chlorpromazine showed no anticonvulsive action. The penicillin-induced tonic extensor convulsion was more sensitive to anticonvulsive drugs than PTZ- or MES-induced convulsion. Penicillin-induced convulsion provides a useful tool for the screening of the anticonvulsive actions of drugs.