Melatonin and petit-mal epilepsy: an hypothesis.

Abstract

Intraventricular administration of the opioid peptide leucine-enkephalin has been reported to induce petit-mal-like seizures in rats. These seizures have been found to be an age-dependent phenomenon. In rats, the full manifestation of these seizures develops after 4 weeks of age during which time ethosuximide was effective in aborting these seizures, while phenytoin and phenobarbital were ineffective. The period associated with the development of enkephalin-induced seizures in rats coincides with an important milestone in pineal chronobiology. In rats, melatonin plasma levels peak at 3 weeks of age, a period which also corresponds with the emergence of melatonin circadian rhythms. It is proposed that melatonin mediates the anticonvulsant action of drugs effective for petit-mal (absence) epilepsy and that the pineal gland is implicated in the pathogenesis of this form of childhood epilepsy.

• Authors: R Sandyk
• Journal: The International journal of neuroscience (Int J Neurosci) 1992 Jul-Aug Vol. 65 Issue 1-4 Pg. 83-90 ISSN: 0020-7454 [Print] England
• PMID: 1341694 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Anticonvulsants
• Enkephalin, Leucine
• Melatonin
• Pentylenetetrazole

Topics

• Animals
• Anticonvulsants (administration & dosage)
• Child
• Circadian Rhythm (drug effects, physiology)
• Enkephalin, Leucine (pharmacology)
• Epilepsy, Absence (chemically induced, physiopathology)
• Humans
• Kindling, Neurologic (drug effects, physiology)
• Melatonin (blood)
• Pentylenetetrazole (pharmacology)
• Pineal Gland (drug effects, physiopathology)
• Rats
• Sexual Maturation (drug effects, physiology)