The anticonvulsant effects of propofol, diazepam, and thiopental, against picrotoxin-induced seizure in the rat.

The anticonvulsant effects of propofol administered intravenously against picrotoxin-induced seizure were studied and compared with those of diazepam and thiopental in the rat using picrotoxin-seizure threshold. Comparable doses of the three agents ranging between 1.25-20.0 mg/kg, produced dose-dependent increases in picrotoxin-threshold dose. At the lowest administered dose (1.25 mg/kg), there were no significant differences in picrotoxin-threshold dose among the three agents. Using 2.5 mg/kg dose, propofol and diazepam were equally effective and both were significantly more effective than thiopental in increasing picrotoxin-threshold dose. At higher doses of anticonvulsants (10.0 and 20.0 mg/kg), propofol was significantly more effective than both diazepam and thiopental. These results indicate that propofol is an effective anticonvulsant against picrotoxin-induced seizure, and this effect is significantly greater than diazepam and thiopental at doses producing clear sedative and behavioral effects.