[Anticonvulsant effects of bifemelane hydrochloride on kindled seizures from the amygdala and hippocampus in rats].

The anticonvulsant affects of bifemelane hydrochloride, a novel therapeutic drug for cerebrovascular dementia, were investigated in the kindling model of epilepsy in rats. The results obtained were as follows. (i) Both the seizure stage and afterdischarge duration of kindled seizures from the amygdala and hippocampus were significantly suppressed following systemic injection of bifemelane hydrochloride (5-30 mg/kg) in a dose-dependent manner. (ii) The efficacy of anticonvulsant action on kindled seizures from the hippocampus was more potent than from the amygdala. (iii) The maximum anticonvulsant effects were observed between 1 and 4 h after injection, and this time course was very similar to that of the previously reported increasing effects of bifemelane hydrochloride on noradrenaline levels in the rat brain. Thus, it is suggested that these anticonvulsant effects in kindling may be mediated by central noradrenergic systems. These results indicate that bifemelane hydrochloride has a potent anticonvulsant action on kindled seizures and may be useful for dementia patients with epilepsy or other seizure disorders.