Guanine-based purines have been traditionally studied as modulators of intracellular processes, mainly Gprotein activity. However, more recently, several studies have shown that they exert a variety of extracellular effects not related to G-proteins, including trophic effects on neural cells, modulation of glutamatergic activity, behavioral effects and anticonvulsant activity. In this article, ...

35 epileptic patients, aged 10 to 58 years (mean 23), who were taking anticonvulsant drugs were studied. The patients exhibited a 34% reduction in serum calcium levels, a 41 % increase in serum alkaline phosphatase activity and a slight but insignificant decrease in serum phosphate, compared to untreated controls. These changes appear to be related to the anticonvul­ sant drug taken, in the fol...

New derivatives of 2-[2-(2-Chlorophenoxy)phenyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole as candidates for agonistic effect on benzodiazepine receptors were synthesized. Conformational analysis and superimposition of energy minima conformers of the novel compounds on estazolam, a known benzodiazepine agonist, revealed that the main proposed benzodiazepine pharmacophores were well matched. In pharmacological evaluatio...

Loss of vestibulo-ocular reflexes occurred in two patients with acute supratentorial lesions who received therapeutic doses of anticonvulsant drugs. There was no clinical or angiographic evidence of focal brain-stem damage. Absence of vestibulo-ocular reflexes is attributed to a combination of acute cerebral damage and anticonvulsant drugs. The loss of these reflexes in patients with acute cere...

Carbamazepine is a widely used anticonvulsant. Its metabolite, carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide, has been found to display similar anticonvulsant and neurotoxic properties. While the ratio of parent to metabolite concentration varies significantly, at therapeutic doses the epoxide concentration is generally about 20% of the parent. We report a case of fatal carbamazepine overdose in which the epoxid...

A number of 3-substituted-2-(substituted-phenoxymethyl) quinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives 4a,b, 5a-c, 6, 7a-f, 8a-e and 9a,b have been synthesized. Their structures have been elucidated on the basis of elemental analyses and spectroscopic studies (IR, 1H-NMR, MS). A preliminary evaluation of the anticonvulsant activity of the prepared compounds has indicated that compounds 4b, 7b-f, 8a and 9b ex...

A new series of 2-substituted-5-[2-(2-halobenzyloxy)phenyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazoles was designed and synthesized as anticonvulsant agents. Electroshock and pentylenetetrazole-induced lethal convulsion tests showed that the introduction of an amino group at position 2 of 1,3,4-oxadiazole ring and a fluoro substituent at ortho position of benzyloxy moiety had the best anticonvulsant activity. Our resul...

A series of Schiff bases of phthalimide (4a-l) were prepared in satisfactory yields and evaluated for their anticonvulsant and neurotoxicity activities. The structures of all the compounds were in good agreement with elemental analysis and spectral data. All the compounds were active in MES screen and less neurotoxic than phenytoin. Compound 41 having nitro substitution at ortho position of the...