1980 Volume 12 Issue 5 Pages 382-387
Authors have already reported that ACTH combined with sodium valproate (VPA) was more effective therapy than ACTH only for infantile spasms.
The present study was carried out to examine the effects of VPA and ACTH on GABA metabolism of rat's brain. The experiments were carried out on female rats of Wistar strain, weighing 150-170g. The rats were divided into seven groups: group A, controls: group B, fast 5 days: group C1, intraperitoneal injection of VPA (400 mg/kg); group C2, oral administration of VPA (150 mg/kg a day) for 20 days: group C3, oral administration of VPA (100 mg/kg a day) for 20 days: group D, intraperitoneal injection of ACTH-Z (0.1 mg/kg a day) for 14 days: group E, intraperitoneal injection of ACTH-Z (0.1 mg/kg a day) for 14 days combined with oral administration of VPA (150 mg/kg a day) for 20 days. Results were obtained as follows.
The mean values+SD (μmole/g) of GABA contents in brains were 2.46±0.23 in group A, 2.29+0.23 in group B, 3.13±0.27 in group C1, 2.82±0.15 in group C2 2.80±0.13 in group C3, 2.20±0.08 in group D and 3.71±0.18 in group E respectively. There were significant increases of GABA contents in group C1 (P<0.025), group C2 (p<0.05), group C3 (P<0.05) and group E (P<0.005).
These results suggest that ACTH has no effect on GABA metabolism but increases the action of VPA. We speculate that an increase of GABA content in the brain contributed to the effectiveness of ACTH and VPA therapy.
