Perampanel exhibits anticonvulsant action against pentylentetrazol-induced seizures in immature rats.

Perampanel is a new antiepileptic drug with unique mechanism of action - antagonism of AMPA receptors. Its action in immature animals is not yet sufficiently known therefore we started to study anticonvulsant action of perampanel pretreatment (1-20 mg/kg i.p.) against seizures elicited by pentylenetetrazol. Three age groups of rats were examined - 12, 18 and 25 days old. Perampanel selectively suppressed the tonic phase of generalized seizures in the two younger groups and whole tonic-clonic seizures in the 25-day-old group. It exhibited also an anticonvulsant action against minimal clonic seizures present in control 18- and 25-day-old rats. Perampanel is an effective anticonvulsant drug even at very early stages of brain development.