Main Cavinton® metabolite cAVA increases neuronal excitability

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Main Cavinton® metabolite cAVA increases neuronal excitability B. Farkas1*, P. Kocsis1, I. Tarnawa1 and K. Tihanyi1 1 Gedeon Richter Plc.,, Pharmacology and Drug Safety Research, Hungary The sodium channel blocking activity of Cavinton (vinpocetine) is implicated in its anti-excitotoxic actions. Clinical- as well as animal experimental data indicate that vinpocetine has a memory enhancing effect. However, inhibition of sodium channels, which decreases excitability, is difficult to reconcile with a positive effect on memory. Vinpocetine is readily metabolised to cis-apovincaminic acid (cAVA) in rats. We investigated if cAVA could play a role in the memory enhancing effect of vinpocetine, by analysing the effects of cAVA on neuronal excitability in models of cortical spreading depression (CSD) and in spinal reflex experiments. In the rat hemisected spinal cord model, ventral root reflexes recorded from the L5 ventral root following the stimulation of the ipsilateral dorsal root, were dose-dependently enhanced by cAVA (25-400 µM). In brain slices, cAVA (100-200 µM) markedly increased the excitability of cortical tissue. CSDs could have been evoked more easily by application of high-potassium containing medium in the presence of cAVA. In vivo, when CSDs were recorded from the frontoparietal cortex, pre-treatment of rats with cAVA (20 mg/kg; i.v.) elevated the mean amplitude of DC potential shifts without altering the number of CSD events compared to vehicle control. Our findings indicate that cAVA, in contrast with vinpocetine, can directly enhance neuronal excitability. This suggests that the memory enhancing effect of vinpocetine may be due to its bioconversion to cAVA. Keywords: Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Conference: 13th Conference of the Hungarian Neuroscience Society (MITT), Budapest, Hungary, 20 Jan - 22 Jan, 2011. Presentation Type: Abstract Topic: Neurophysiology Citation: Farkas B, Kocsis P, Tarnawa I and Tihanyi K (2011). Main Cavinton® metabolite cAVA increases neuronal excitability. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: 13th Conference of the Hungarian Neuroscience Society (MITT). doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2011.84.00115 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 03 Mar 2011; Published Online: 23 Mar 2011. * Correspondence: Dr. B. Farkas, Gedeon Richter Plc.,, Pharmacology and Drug Safety Research, Budapest, Hungary, b.farkas@richter.hu Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers B. Farkas P. Kocsis I. Tarnawa K. Tihanyi Google B. Farkas P. Kocsis I. Tarnawa K. Tihanyi Google Scholar B. Farkas P. Kocsis I. Tarnawa K. Tihanyi PubMed B. Farkas P. Kocsis I. Tarnawa K. Tihanyi Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.