Protection from Local Anesthetic-induced Convulsions

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Abstract
The effects of GABA on the induction of convulsions by local anesthetics were investigated in mice and rats. Intraventricular administration of 0.8-1.6 mg GABA protected rats against convulsions induced by procaine, lidocaine, cocaine and tetracaine in a dose-related manner. I.p. .gamma.-acetylenic GABA was also effective against procaine-induced convulsions in mice, but the metabolites of GABA, .gamma.-hydroxybutyrate and .gamma.-butyrolactone were without effect. Intraventricular GABA 1.6 mg delayed the onset of convulsions induced by hydrazine, but had no influence on the incidence of convulsions induced by nicotine, pentylenetetrazol, picrotoxin or strychnine. The GABA system may be involved in the mechanisms of local anesthetic-induced convulsions.
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