Behavioral effects of vigabatrin correlated with whole brain gamma-aminobutyric acid metabolism in audiogenic sensitive rats

The present study evaluates dose-dependent behavioral effects of acutely or subacutely administered single doses of vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl gamma-aminobutyric acid, gamma-vinyl GABA, CAS 60643-86-9) in audiogenic sensitive rats, in correlation with whole brain GABA metabolism. There was a discrepancy in timing between behaviorally observed maximal antiepileptic protection (4 h after i.p. administration of gamma-vinyl GABA) and on the other hand maximal inhibition of GABA-transaminase activity and maximal increase of whole brain GABA content (24 h after i.p. administration of gamma-vinyl GABA). This suggests that the antiepileptic properties of gamma-vinyl GABA not only depend on GABA-ergic neurotransmission. A possible explanation is a gamma-vinyl GABA-induced decrease of excitatory amino acids or increased glycine concentrations in the brain.