Vigabatrin reduces epileptiform activity in brain slices from pharmacoresistant epilepsy patients.

Human neocortical temporal lobe tissue resected for treatment of pharmacoresistant epilepsy was investigated. In slices prepared from this tissue, epileptiform field potentials (EFP) were induced by omission of magnesium from the artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF). The effects of the gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase inhibitor vigabatrin on EFP were tested. Vigabatrin exerted a dose-dependent reduction of the repetition rate of EFP: after 3 h of administration of vigabatrin in concentrations of 100 and 200 micromol/l, the repetition rate of EFP was reduced to 35% and 18% of the initial values, respectively. This effect was not reversible. In control experiments with neocortical slices from rats, vigabatrin reduced EFP in a comparable range. The results demonstrate a strong antiepileptic effect of vigabatrin on EFP in tissues from pharmacoresistant epilepsy patients.