4-aminopyridine and barium chloride attenuate the anti-epileptic effect of carbamazepine in hippocampal slices.

The exact mode of action of the anti-epileptic agent carbamazepine is unknown. In hippocampal slices in which epileptiform discharges were induced by addition of penicillin to the perfusion medium, the depressant effect of carbamazepine was attenuated by the potassium-channel blockers barium chloride (0.1 mM) and 4-aminopyridine (200 microM), which suggested that potassium fluxes might be involved in the mechanism of action of carbamazepine.