EPILEPSY

  • Screening of antiepileptic drugs : The PTZ-assay in the mice

    Epilepsy is a disease characterized by recurrent seizures that effects more than sixty million people worldwide. Available treatments can only partially control the disease and are associated with severe side effects, the search for more effective and safer drugs for controlling seizures therefore remains a crucial challenge for the Pharmaceutical industry.
    Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) –induced seizures in mice is an accepted in-vivo model for the screening of antiepileptic drugs. Seizures are induced by the administration of 100 mg/kg, s.c. PTZ and the mice are then observed for a 60 minute period.

  • Compound testing


    Anticonvulsant drugs are usually tested in this model but other treatments could also be considered.
    Please feel free to contact us to discuss the feasibility of your study.

  • Endpoints


    ☐ Latency to clonic seizures
    ☐ Latency to tonic seizures
    ☐ Protection against seizure-induced death
Effect of Keppra® (Levetiracetam)

Samples data : compound testing addresses the effect of acute treatment of CD-1 mice, typically injected 30-60 min before the PTZ assay.

  • Keppra® induces a significant delay in the appearance of clonic seizures in mice.

  • Keppra® induces a significant delay in the appearance of tonic seizures in mice.

  • Keppra® significantly reduces
    seizures-induced death in mice.