Di-n-propylacetic acid--profile of anticonvulsant activity in mice.

The anticonvulsant effect of di-n-propylacetic acid (n-DPA) was studied in mice and compared to those of phenobarbital, trimethadione and ethosuximide. n-DPA was only weakly active in the maximal electroshock test, but had an ED50 of 420 mg/kg orally in the pentetrazole seizure threshold test, which corresponds rather well to the activity of trimethadione and ethosuximide. The duration of action was only short, and the first signs of neurotoxicity--inability to perform in the chimney test--appeared well below the anticonvulsant ED50 against pentetrazole. n-DPA proved to be most active against convulsions induced by picrotoxin (ED50 200 mg/kg orally), which might indicate a role of the elevation of the central levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid in the anticonvulsant effect of the drug.