Age-dependent suppression of hippocampal epileptic afterdischarges by metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 antagonist MTEP.

Action of an antagonist of metabotropic glutamate receptors subtype 5 MTEP was studied in a model of complex partial seizures. Dorsal hippocampus of rat pups 12, 18 and 25 days old was stimulated six times with 10-min intervals. MTEP (20 or 40 mg/kg) was injected after the first afterdischarge and duration of afterdischarges was measured. MTEP exhibited marked anticonvulsant action in 12-day-old-rats, the similar effect in 18-day-old rats was observed only with the second stimulation. No anticonvulsant action was seen in 25-day-old animals. Our results may qualify antagonists of mGluR5 as potential antiepileptic drugs for some types of childhood epilepsies.