Antiepileptic effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone and its new derivative, DN-1417, examined in feline amygdaloid kindling preparation.

The comparative antiepileptic effects of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone and its new derivative, gamma-butyrolactone-gamma-carbonyl-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide citrate (DN-1417), were examined in feline amygdaloid kindling preparations. When tested in kindled animals, both agents showed a transient and non-dose-dependent anticonvulsant effect, in addition to raising the generalized convulsive seizure-triggering threshold for a prolonged period of time. Furthermore, DN-1417 exerted a significant effect on postictal events: shortening the electrographic silence, leaving the duration of slow activity intact, while prolonging the period of seizure refractoriness. When tested in kindling animals, DN-1417 showed a significant but non-dose-dependent prophylactic effect on both primary and secondary amygdaloid sites.