Intranigral dynorphin-1-13 suppresses kindled seizures by a naloxone-insensitive mechanism.

Numerous lines of evidence indicate that the substantia nigra (SN) facilitates the propagation of seizures in kindling and in other seizure models. Intranigral injection of dynorphin-1-13 exerted a potent seizure suppressant action in kindled rats. This seizure suppressant action was dose dependent, spatially specific for the area of the SN and was not blocked by naloxone (2 mg/kg i.p.). This finding extends previous work indicating that treatments which reduce SN output exert an anticonvulsant action and further suggests that opioid peptides endogenous to the SN may regulate seizure susceptibility in the kindling model.