Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-Letters: Submit a response to the article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (40)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by DE RIU, P. L.
Right arrow Articles by MAMELI, O.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by DE RIU, P. L.
Right arrow Articles by MAMELI, O.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

British Journal of Anaesthesia, 1992, Vol. 69, No. 2 177-181
© 1992 The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia

research-article

PROPOFOL ANTICONVULSANT ACTIVITY IN EXPERIMENTAL EPILEPTIC STATUS

P. L. DE RIU, M.D.1,*, V. PETRUZZI, V.D.3, C. TESTA, B.SC.2, M. MULAS, M.D.4, F. MELIS, M.D.5, M. A. CARIA, M.D.5 and O. MAMELI, B.SC., PH.D.5

1Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, University of Turin Italy
2Sardinian Zoo-prophylaxis Institute Italy
3Institute of Veterinary Surgery, University of Sassari Italy
4Institute of Anaesthesiology, University of Sassari Italy
5Institute of Human Physiology, University of Sassari Italy

*Address for correspondence: Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, v.le S. Pietro 43/B, 07100 Sassari, Italia.

We have examined the anticonvulsant properties of propofol in high doses in two experimental models of status epilepticus: generalized pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures and partial, cortically applied penicillin G-induced seizures. Propofol was administered either as a single bolus injection or as a bolus injection followed by an infusion for 1 h. When administered as a single bolus injection, propofol 12 mg kg–1 suppressed electrical and clinical seizures in PTZ generalized epileptic status, and an infusion of 50 mg kg–1 h–1 prevented the reappearance of electrical and clinical signs. In focal epileptic status, the single dose stopped paroxysmal activity and the associated clonic jerks for a few seconds. When the bolus dose was followed by an infusion, the firing bursts were replaced by isolated spikes, and contralateral jerks became sporadic and feeble. The greater efficacy of propofol against PTZ convulsions may be a reflection of the opposite action of the two drugs on neural membrane conductance: PTZ induces paroxysmal neural discharge by enhancing membrane conductance while propofol appears to decrease membrane conductance, thus suppressing paroxysmal discharge. There was no close relationship between blood concentration of the anaesthetic and its clinical effects, at least after a short-term infusion, as used in the present experiments. We suggest that propofol may be a potentially useful drug in status epilepticus in patients in whom benzodiazepines, barbiturates and phenytoin have failed.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Anesth. Analg.Home page
H. Ohmori, Y. Sato, and A. Namiki
The Anticonvulsant Action of Propofol on Epileptiform Activity in Rat Hippocampal Slices
Anesth. Analg., October 1, 2004; 99(4): 1095 - 1101.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.