EFFECTOF TOPIRAMATE ON THE KAINATE-INDUCED STATUS EPILEPTICUS, LIPID PEROXIDATION AND IMMUNOREACTIVITY OF RATS Marta Kubera 1 , Bogus³awa Budziszewska 1 , Lucylla Jaworska-Feil 1 , Agnieszka Basta-Kaim 1 , Monika Leœkiewicz 1 , Magdalena Tetich 1 , Michael Maes 2, , Günter Kenis 3 , Andrzej Marciniak 4 , Stanis³aw J. Czuczwar 4 , Grzegorz Jag³a 5 , Wojciech Nowak 5 , W³adyslaw Lasoñ 1,# Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smêtna 12, PL31-343 Kraków, Poland; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Maastricht, Vijverdal P.O. Box 88, 6200 AB Maastricht, The Netherlands; University of Maastricht, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Institute of Brain and Behavior, University of Maastricht, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 8, PL20-090 Lublin; Department of Anatomy, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Kopernika 12, PL 31-034 Kraków, Poland Effect of topiramate on the kainate-induced status epilepticus, lipid per- oxidation and immunoreactivity of rats. M. KUBERA, B. BUDZISZEWSKA, L. JAWORSKA-FEIL, A. BASTA-KAIM, M. LEŒKIEWICZ, M. TETICH, M. MAES, G. KENIS, A. MARCINIAK, S.J. CZUCZWAR, G. JAG£A, W. NOWAK, W. LASOÑ. Pol. J. Pharmacol. 2004, 56, 553–561. Topiramate, a new anticonvulsant, has been reported to possess neuro- protective effects in both in vivo and in vitro experiments. In the present study, the effect of topiramate (40 and 80 mg/kg ip) on the fully developed kainate-induced status epilepticus was evaluated in the rat. Injection of kai- nate (15 mg/kg ip) evoked recurrent limbic seizures which lasted several hours. Topiramate injected 1.5 h after kainate administration had no effect on the seizures and mortality of the animals. Biochemical study revealed that at 80 mg/kg ip, topiramate significantly attenuated the kainate-induced lipid peroxidation in the piriform cortex and showed similar tendency in the fron- tal cortex. Besides the central nervous system, the kainate-induced seizures evoked significant changes in immunoreactivity, such as reduction in thymus weight and the proliferative activity of splenocytes, and the splenocyte- increased production of interleukin-10, but not interferon-g. Topiramate did not affect the kainate-induced reduction in thymus weight, but attenuated changes in the proliferative activity of splenocytes. It is concluded that topi- ramate, when given during the fully developed kainate-induced status epi- lepticus in rats, has no effect on seizures, but attenuates lipid peroxidation in piriform cortex and prevents certain changes in immunoactivity. Key words: topiramate, kainate, seizures, lipid peroxidation, immunore- activity, cytokines Copyright © 2004 by Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences Polish Journal of Pharmacology Pol. J. Pharmacol., 2004, 56, 553–561 ISSN 1230-6002 correspondence; e-mail: lason@rabbit.if-pan.krakow.pl