Effects of androsterone on the protective action of various antiepileptic drugs against maximal electroshock-induced seizures in mice

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of androsterone (AND), a metabolite of testosterone, on the ability of selected classical and novel antiepileptic drugs to prevent seizures caused by maximal electroshock (MES), which may serve as an experimental model of human generalized tonic-clonic seizures in mice. Single intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of AND (80 mg kg−1) significantly raised the threshold for convulsions in the MES seizure threshold test. Lower doses of AND (5, 10, 20, and 40 mg kg−1) failed to change the threshold. AND at a subthreshold dose of 40 mg kg−1 significantly enhanced the protective activity of carbamazepine, gabapentin, and phenobarbital against MES-induced seizures decreasing their median effective doses (ED50) values ± SEM from 8.59 ± 0.76 to 6.05 ± 0.81 mg kg−1 (p = 0.0308) for carbamazepine, from 419.9 ± 120.6 to 111.5 ± 41.1 mg kg−1 (p = 0.0405) for gabapentin, and from 20.86 ± 1.64 to 10.0 ± 1.21 mg kg−1 (p = 0.0007) for phenobarbital. There were no significant changes in total brain concentrations of carbamazepine, gabapentin, and phenobarbital following AND administration. This suggests that the enhancing effects of AND on the protective activity of these antiepileptic drugs are not related to pharmacokinetic factors. A lower dose of AND (20 mg kg−1) had no effect on the protective activity of carbamazepine, gabapentin, and phenobarbital. AND administered at a dose of 40 mg kg−1 failed to change the anticonvulsant activity of lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin, topiramate, and valproate in the MES test. In the chimney test, AND given at a dose enhancing the protective activity of carbamazepine, gabapentin, and phenobarbital (which alone was without effect on motor performance of mice) did not affect impairment of motor coordination produced by the antiepileptics. Our findings recommend further preclinical and clinical research on AND in respect of its use as adjuvant therapy in the management of epilepsy in men with deficiency of androgens.