Montelukast reduces seizures in pentylenetetrazol-kindled mice
CysLT1 antagonists appear to emerge as a promising adjunctive treatment for refractory seizures, and additional studies are necessary to evaluate the clinical implications of this research.
Abstract
Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) have been implicated in seizures and kindling;\nhowever, the effect of CysLT receptor antagonists on seizure frequency in kindled\nanimals and changes in CysLT receptor expression after pentylenetetrazol\n(PTZ)-induced kindling have not been investigated. In this study, we evaluated\nwhether the CysLT1 inverse agonist montelukast, and a classical anticonvulsant,\nphenobarbital, were able to reduce seizures in PTZ-kindled mice and alter CysLT\nreceptor expression. Montelukast (10 mg/kg, sc) and phenobarbital\n(20 mg/kg, sc) increased the latency to generalized seizures in\nkindled mice. Montelukast increased CysLT1 immunoreactivity only in\nnon-kindled, PTZ-challenged mice. Interestingly, PTZ challenge decreased\nCysLT2 immunoreactivity only in kindled mice. CysLT1\nantagonists appear to emerge as a promising adjunctive treatment for refractory\nseizures. Nevertheless, additional studies are necessary to evaluate the clinical\nimplications of this research.