Anticonvulsant neuropeptides play an important role in controlling neuronal excitability that lea... more Anticonvulsant neuropeptides play an important role in controlling neuronal excitability that leads to pain or seizures. Based on overlapping inhibitorymechanisms, many anticonvulsant compounds have been found to exhibit both analgesic and antiepileptic activities. An analgesic neuropeptide W (NPW) targets recently deorphanized G-protein coupled receptors. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the analgesic activity of NPW may lead to the discovery of its antiepileptic properties. Indeed, direct administration of NPW into the brain potently reduced seizures inmice. To confirm this discovery, we rationally designed, synthesized, and characterized NPW analogues that exhibited anti-convulsant activities following systemic administration. Our results suggest that the combination of neuropep-tide repositioning and engineering NPW analogues that penetrate the blood-brain barrier could provide new drug leads, not only for the treatment of epilepsy and pain but also for studying effects of th...
We previously demonstrated that positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of metabotropic glutamate s... more We previously demonstrated that positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of metabotropic glutamate subtype 2 (mGlu ) receptors have potential synergistic interactions with the antiseizure drug levetiracetam (LEV). The present study utilizes isobolographic analysis to evaluate the combined administration of JNJ-46356479, a selective and potent mGlu PAM, with LEV as well as sodium valproate (VPA) and lamotrigine (LTG). The anticonvulsant efficacy of JNJ-46356479 was evaluated in the 6-Hz model of psychomotor seizures in mice. JNJ-46356479 was administered in combination with LEV using 3 fixed dose-ratio treatment groups in the mouse 6-Hz (44-mA) seizure test. The combination of JNJ-46356479 with LEV was also evaluated in the mouse corneal kindling model. The potential interactions of JNJ-46356479 with the antiseizure drugs VPA and LTG were also evaluated using fixed dose-ratio combinations. Plasma levels were obtained for analysis of potential pharmacokinetic interactions for each combin...
Serotonin (5-HT) receptors are important in health and disease, but the existence of 14 subtypes ... more Serotonin (5-HT) receptors are important in health and disease, but the existence of 14 subtypes necessitates selective ligands. Previously, the pulicatins were identified as ligands that specifically bound to the subtype 5-HT in the 500 nM to 10 μM range and that exhibited in vitro effects on cultured mouse neurons. Here, we examined the structure-activity relationship of 30 synthetic and natural pulicatin derivatives using binding, receptor functionality, and in vivo assays. The results reveal the 2-arylthiazoline scaffold as a tunable serotonin receptor-targeting pharmacophore. Tests in mice show potential antiseizure and antinociceptive activities at high doses without motor impairment.
The potential clinical utility of galanin peptidic analogs has been hindered by poor metabolic st... more The potential clinical utility of galanin peptidic analogs has been hindered by poor metabolic stability, lack of brain penetration, and hyperglycemia. In addition to possessing potent anticonvulsant efficacy, galanin analogs are analgesic in various assays. The purpose of these studies was to evaluate the lead galanin receptor type 2 (GalR2)-preferring analog, NAX 810-2, in various pain assays, as well as determine any potential for insulin inhibition, growth hormone stimulation, and cognitive impairment. NAX 810-2 was evaluated in mouse (carrageenan, formalin, tail flick, plantar incision) and rat pain models (partial sciatic nerve ligation). NAX 810-2 dose-dependently increased paw withdrawal latency following plantar administration of carrageenan (ED50 4.7 mg/kg). At a dose of 8 mg/kg, NAX 810-2 significantly attenuated nociceptive behaviors following plantar administration of formalin, and this was observed for both phase I (acute) and phase II (inflammatory) components of the ...
The series of experiments herein evaluated prototype drugs representing different mechanisms of a... more The series of experiments herein evaluated prototype drugs representing different mechanisms of antiseizure, antinociceptive or antidepressant action in a battery of preclinical pain models in adult male CF#1 mice (formalin, writhing, and tail flick) and Sprague Dawley rats partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL). In the formalin assay, phenytoin (PHT, 6 mg/kg), sodium valproate (VPA, 300 mg/kg), amitriptyline (AMI, 7.5 and 15 mg/kg), gabapentin (GBP, 30 and 70 mg/kg), tiagabine (TGB, 5 and 15 mg/kg), and acetominophen (APAP, 250 and 500 mg/kg) reduced both phases of the formalin response to ≤ 25% of vehicle-treated mice. In the acetic acid induced writhing assay, VPA (300 mg/kg), ethosuximide (ETX, 300 mg/kg), morphine (MOR, 5 & 10 mg/kg), GBP (10, 30, and 60 mg/kg), TGB (15 mg/kg), levetiracetam (LEV, 300 mg/kg), felbamate (FBM, 80 mg/kg) and APAP (250 mg/kg) reduced writhing to ≤ 25% of vehicle-treated mice. In the tail flick test, MOR (1.25-5 mg/kg), AMI (15 mg/kg) and TGB (5 mg/k...
The mouse 6 Hz model of psychomotor seizures is a well-established and commonly used preclinical ... more The mouse 6 Hz model of psychomotor seizures is a well-established and commonly used preclinical model for antiseizure drug (ASD) discovery. Despite its widespread use both in the identification and differentiation of novel ASDs in mice, a corresponding assay in rats has not been developed. We established a method for 6 Hz seizure induction in rats, with seizure behaviors similar to those observed in mice including head nod, jaw clonus, and forelimb clonus. A convulsive current that elicits these seizure behaviors in 97% of rats (CC97 ) was determined using a Probit analysis. Numerous prototype ASDs were evaluated in this model using stimulus intensities of 1.5× and 2× the CC97 , which is comparable to the approach used in the mouse 6 Hz seizure model (e.g., 32 and 44 mA stimulus intensities). The ASDs evaluated include carbamazepine, clobazam, clonazepam, eslicarbazepine, ethosuximide, ezogabine, gabapentin, lacosamide, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rufinami...
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid component of marijuana that has no significant activity at can... more Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid component of marijuana that has no significant activity at cannabinoid receptors or psychoactive effects. There is considerable interest in CBD as a therapy for epilepsy. Almost a third of epilepsy patients are not adequately controlled by clinically available anti-seizure drugs (ASDs). Initial studies appear to demonstrate that CBD preparations may be a useful treatment for pharmacoresistant epilepsy. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) funded Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program (ETSP) investigated CBD in a battery of seizure models using a refocused screening protocol aimed at identifying pharmacotherapies to address the unmet need in pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Applying this new screening workflow, CBD was investigated in mouse 6 Hz 44 mA, maximal electroshock (MES), corneal kindling models and rat MES and lamotrigine-resistant amygdala kindling models. Following intraperitoneal (i.p.) pretreatment, CBD produced do...
Chronic pain is a multifactorial disease comprised of both inflammatory and neuropathic component... more Chronic pain is a multifactorial disease comprised of both inflammatory and neuropathic components that affect ∼20% of the world's population. sec-Butylpropylacetamide (SPD) is a novel amide analogue of valproic acid (VPA) previously shown to possess a broad spectrum of anticonvulsant activity. In this study, we defined the pharmacokinetic parameters of SPD in rat and mouse, and then evaluated its antinociceptive potential in neuropathic and acute inflammatory pain models. In the sciatic nerve ligation (SNL) model of neuropathic pain, SPD was equipotent to gabapentin and more potent than its parent compound VPA. SPD also showed either higher or equal potency to VPA in the formalin, carrageenan, and writhing tests of inflammatory pain. SPD showed no effects on compound action potential properties in a sciatic nerve preparation, suggesting that its mechanism of action is distinct from local anesthetics and membrane stabilizing drugs. SPD's activity in both neuropathic and infl...
The successful identification of promising investigational therapies for the treatment of epileps... more The successful identification of promising investigational therapies for the treatment of epilepsy can be credited to the use of numerous animal models of seizure and epilepsy for over 80 years. In this time, the maximal electroshock test in mice and rats, the subcutaneous pentylenetetrazol test in mice and rats, and more recently the 6 Hz assay in mice, have been utilized as primary models of electrically or chemically-evoked seizures in neurologically intact rodents. In addition, rodent kindling models, in which chronic network hyperexcitability has developed, have been used to identify new agents. It is clear that this traditional screening approach has greatly expanded the number of marketed drugs available to manage the symptomatic seizures associated with epilepsy. In spite of the numerous antiseizure drugs (ASDs) on the market today, the fact remains that nearly 30% of patients are resistant to these currently available medications. To address this unmet medical need, the Nat...
The metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 2 (mGlu2 ) possesses both orthosteric and allosteric ... more The metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 2 (mGlu2 ) possesses both orthosteric and allosteric modulatory sites, are expressed in the frontal cortex and limbic structures, and can affect excitatory synaptic transmission. Therefore, mGlu2 is a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of epilepsy. The present study seeks to evaluate the anticonvulsant potential of mGlu2 -acting compounds. The anticonvulsant efficacy of two selective mGlu2 -positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) (JNJ-42153605 and JNJ-40411813/ADX71149) and one mGlu2/3 receptor agonist (LY404039) were evaluated alone and in combination with the antiseizure drug levetiracetam (LEV) in the mouse 6 Hz model. In the 6 Hz (32 mA stimulus intensity) model, median effective dose (ED50 ) values were determined for JNJ-42153605 (3.8 mg/kg), JNJ-40411813 (12.2 mg/kg), and LY404039 (10.9 mg/kg). At the 44 mA stimulus intensity, ED50 values were determined for JNJ-42153605 (5.9 mg/kg), JNJ-40411813 (21.0 mg/kg), LY404039 (14....
The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, 1996
Benzodiazepine agonists affect endocrine responses of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and... more Benzodiazepine agonists affect endocrine responses of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and can antagonize many of the actions of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). Gender and gonad-related factors can influence both the development of tolerance to the benzodiazepines in rats and the concomitant neural adaptations associated with chronic benzodiazepine agonist exposure. This study compared changes in CRF content, corticosterone release and ACTH levels after diazepam exposure in ovariectomized female (OVX) and male rats. After treatment with diazepam for 3 days (acute) or 3 weeks (chronic), content of CRF immunoreactivity in eight brain areas and serum corticosterone were determined by radioimmunoassay in handling-habituated rats. The effects of acute and chronic benzodiazepine exposure on swim stress-induced corticosterone and ACTH release were also examined. Chronic diazepam exposure reduced stress-induced corticosterone and ACTH release in OVX, but not male, rats. Acute d...
Anticonvulsant neuropeptides play an important role in controlling neuronal excitability that lea... more Anticonvulsant neuropeptides play an important role in controlling neuronal excitability that leads to pain or seizures. Based on overlapping inhibitorymechanisms, many anticonvulsant compounds have been found to exhibit both analgesic and antiepileptic activities. An analgesic neuropeptide W (NPW) targets recently deorphanized G-protein coupled receptors. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the analgesic activity of NPW may lead to the discovery of its antiepileptic properties. Indeed, direct administration of NPW into the brain potently reduced seizures inmice. To confirm this discovery, we rationally designed, synthesized, and characterized NPW analogues that exhibited anti-convulsant activities following systemic administration. Our results suggest that the combination of neuropep-tide repositioning and engineering NPW analogues that penetrate the blood-brain barrier could provide new drug leads, not only for the treatment of epilepsy and pain but also for studying effects of th...
We previously demonstrated that positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of metabotropic glutamate s... more We previously demonstrated that positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of metabotropic glutamate subtype 2 (mGlu ) receptors have potential synergistic interactions with the antiseizure drug levetiracetam (LEV). The present study utilizes isobolographic analysis to evaluate the combined administration of JNJ-46356479, a selective and potent mGlu PAM, with LEV as well as sodium valproate (VPA) and lamotrigine (LTG). The anticonvulsant efficacy of JNJ-46356479 was evaluated in the 6-Hz model of psychomotor seizures in mice. JNJ-46356479 was administered in combination with LEV using 3 fixed dose-ratio treatment groups in the mouse 6-Hz (44-mA) seizure test. The combination of JNJ-46356479 with LEV was also evaluated in the mouse corneal kindling model. The potential interactions of JNJ-46356479 with the antiseizure drugs VPA and LTG were also evaluated using fixed dose-ratio combinations. Plasma levels were obtained for analysis of potential pharmacokinetic interactions for each combin...
Serotonin (5-HT) receptors are important in health and disease, but the existence of 14 subtypes ... more Serotonin (5-HT) receptors are important in health and disease, but the existence of 14 subtypes necessitates selective ligands. Previously, the pulicatins were identified as ligands that specifically bound to the subtype 5-HT in the 500 nM to 10 μM range and that exhibited in vitro effects on cultured mouse neurons. Here, we examined the structure-activity relationship of 30 synthetic and natural pulicatin derivatives using binding, receptor functionality, and in vivo assays. The results reveal the 2-arylthiazoline scaffold as a tunable serotonin receptor-targeting pharmacophore. Tests in mice show potential antiseizure and antinociceptive activities at high doses without motor impairment.
The potential clinical utility of galanin peptidic analogs has been hindered by poor metabolic st... more The potential clinical utility of galanin peptidic analogs has been hindered by poor metabolic stability, lack of brain penetration, and hyperglycemia. In addition to possessing potent anticonvulsant efficacy, galanin analogs are analgesic in various assays. The purpose of these studies was to evaluate the lead galanin receptor type 2 (GalR2)-preferring analog, NAX 810-2, in various pain assays, as well as determine any potential for insulin inhibition, growth hormone stimulation, and cognitive impairment. NAX 810-2 was evaluated in mouse (carrageenan, formalin, tail flick, plantar incision) and rat pain models (partial sciatic nerve ligation). NAX 810-2 dose-dependently increased paw withdrawal latency following plantar administration of carrageenan (ED50 4.7 mg/kg). At a dose of 8 mg/kg, NAX 810-2 significantly attenuated nociceptive behaviors following plantar administration of formalin, and this was observed for both phase I (acute) and phase II (inflammatory) components of the ...
The series of experiments herein evaluated prototype drugs representing different mechanisms of a... more The series of experiments herein evaluated prototype drugs representing different mechanisms of antiseizure, antinociceptive or antidepressant action in a battery of preclinical pain models in adult male CF#1 mice (formalin, writhing, and tail flick) and Sprague Dawley rats partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL). In the formalin assay, phenytoin (PHT, 6 mg/kg), sodium valproate (VPA, 300 mg/kg), amitriptyline (AMI, 7.5 and 15 mg/kg), gabapentin (GBP, 30 and 70 mg/kg), tiagabine (TGB, 5 and 15 mg/kg), and acetominophen (APAP, 250 and 500 mg/kg) reduced both phases of the formalin response to ≤ 25% of vehicle-treated mice. In the acetic acid induced writhing assay, VPA (300 mg/kg), ethosuximide (ETX, 300 mg/kg), morphine (MOR, 5 & 10 mg/kg), GBP (10, 30, and 60 mg/kg), TGB (15 mg/kg), levetiracetam (LEV, 300 mg/kg), felbamate (FBM, 80 mg/kg) and APAP (250 mg/kg) reduced writhing to ≤ 25% of vehicle-treated mice. In the tail flick test, MOR (1.25-5 mg/kg), AMI (15 mg/kg) and TGB (5 mg/k...
The mouse 6 Hz model of psychomotor seizures is a well-established and commonly used preclinical ... more The mouse 6 Hz model of psychomotor seizures is a well-established and commonly used preclinical model for antiseizure drug (ASD) discovery. Despite its widespread use both in the identification and differentiation of novel ASDs in mice, a corresponding assay in rats has not been developed. We established a method for 6 Hz seizure induction in rats, with seizure behaviors similar to those observed in mice including head nod, jaw clonus, and forelimb clonus. A convulsive current that elicits these seizure behaviors in 97% of rats (CC97 ) was determined using a Probit analysis. Numerous prototype ASDs were evaluated in this model using stimulus intensities of 1.5× and 2× the CC97 , which is comparable to the approach used in the mouse 6 Hz seizure model (e.g., 32 and 44 mA stimulus intensities). The ASDs evaluated include carbamazepine, clobazam, clonazepam, eslicarbazepine, ethosuximide, ezogabine, gabapentin, lacosamide, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rufinami...
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid component of marijuana that has no significant activity at can... more Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid component of marijuana that has no significant activity at cannabinoid receptors or psychoactive effects. There is considerable interest in CBD as a therapy for epilepsy. Almost a third of epilepsy patients are not adequately controlled by clinically available anti-seizure drugs (ASDs). Initial studies appear to demonstrate that CBD preparations may be a useful treatment for pharmacoresistant epilepsy. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) funded Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program (ETSP) investigated CBD in a battery of seizure models using a refocused screening protocol aimed at identifying pharmacotherapies to address the unmet need in pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Applying this new screening workflow, CBD was investigated in mouse 6 Hz 44 mA, maximal electroshock (MES), corneal kindling models and rat MES and lamotrigine-resistant amygdala kindling models. Following intraperitoneal (i.p.) pretreatment, CBD produced do...
Chronic pain is a multifactorial disease comprised of both inflammatory and neuropathic component... more Chronic pain is a multifactorial disease comprised of both inflammatory and neuropathic components that affect ∼20% of the world's population. sec-Butylpropylacetamide (SPD) is a novel amide analogue of valproic acid (VPA) previously shown to possess a broad spectrum of anticonvulsant activity. In this study, we defined the pharmacokinetic parameters of SPD in rat and mouse, and then evaluated its antinociceptive potential in neuropathic and acute inflammatory pain models. In the sciatic nerve ligation (SNL) model of neuropathic pain, SPD was equipotent to gabapentin and more potent than its parent compound VPA. SPD also showed either higher or equal potency to VPA in the formalin, carrageenan, and writhing tests of inflammatory pain. SPD showed no effects on compound action potential properties in a sciatic nerve preparation, suggesting that its mechanism of action is distinct from local anesthetics and membrane stabilizing drugs. SPD's activity in both neuropathic and infl...
The successful identification of promising investigational therapies for the treatment of epileps... more The successful identification of promising investigational therapies for the treatment of epilepsy can be credited to the use of numerous animal models of seizure and epilepsy for over 80 years. In this time, the maximal electroshock test in mice and rats, the subcutaneous pentylenetetrazol test in mice and rats, and more recently the 6 Hz assay in mice, have been utilized as primary models of electrically or chemically-evoked seizures in neurologically intact rodents. In addition, rodent kindling models, in which chronic network hyperexcitability has developed, have been used to identify new agents. It is clear that this traditional screening approach has greatly expanded the number of marketed drugs available to manage the symptomatic seizures associated with epilepsy. In spite of the numerous antiseizure drugs (ASDs) on the market today, the fact remains that nearly 30% of patients are resistant to these currently available medications. To address this unmet medical need, the Nat...
The metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 2 (mGlu2 ) possesses both orthosteric and allosteric ... more The metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 2 (mGlu2 ) possesses both orthosteric and allosteric modulatory sites, are expressed in the frontal cortex and limbic structures, and can affect excitatory synaptic transmission. Therefore, mGlu2 is a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of epilepsy. The present study seeks to evaluate the anticonvulsant potential of mGlu2 -acting compounds. The anticonvulsant efficacy of two selective mGlu2 -positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) (JNJ-42153605 and JNJ-40411813/ADX71149) and one mGlu2/3 receptor agonist (LY404039) were evaluated alone and in combination with the antiseizure drug levetiracetam (LEV) in the mouse 6 Hz model. In the 6 Hz (32 mA stimulus intensity) model, median effective dose (ED50 ) values were determined for JNJ-42153605 (3.8 mg/kg), JNJ-40411813 (12.2 mg/kg), and LY404039 (10.9 mg/kg). At the 44 mA stimulus intensity, ED50 values were determined for JNJ-42153605 (5.9 mg/kg), JNJ-40411813 (21.0 mg/kg), LY404039 (14....
The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, 1996
Benzodiazepine agonists affect endocrine responses of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and... more Benzodiazepine agonists affect endocrine responses of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and can antagonize many of the actions of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). Gender and gonad-related factors can influence both the development of tolerance to the benzodiazepines in rats and the concomitant neural adaptations associated with chronic benzodiazepine agonist exposure. This study compared changes in CRF content, corticosterone release and ACTH levels after diazepam exposure in ovariectomized female (OVX) and male rats. After treatment with diazepam for 3 days (acute) or 3 weeks (chronic), content of CRF immunoreactivity in eight brain areas and serum corticosterone were determined by radioimmunoassay in handling-habituated rats. The effects of acute and chronic benzodiazepine exposure on swim stress-induced corticosterone and ACTH release were also examined. Chronic diazepam exposure reduced stress-induced corticosterone and ACTH release in OVX, but not male, rats. Acute d...
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