Influence of felodipine on experimental seizures and activity of different antiepileptic drugs in mice.

Effects of felodipine, the calcium channel blocker, on the electroshock, pentetrazole-, aminophylline-, and pilocarpine-induced seizures and on the anticonvulsant activity of different antiepileptic drugs against maximal electroshock were examined in mice. Felodipine increased the threshold for electroconvulsions. The drug exerted also a protective effect against pentetrazole-induced seizures, but not against aminophylline- and pilocarpine-induced seizures. The protective efficacy of diazepam and diphenylhydantoin (but not phenobarbital and valproate) against electroconvulsions was significantly enhanced by felodipine. A pharmacokinetic interaction did not seem to be responsible for the interaction of felodipine with antiepileptic drugs in the maximal electroshock test.