Interaction of felbamate and diazepam against maximal electroshock seizures and chemoconvulsants in mice.

The anticonvulsant effects of felbamate alone or in combination with diazepam were investigated against maximal electroshock-, pentylenetetrazol-, isoniazid- and bicuculline-induced seizures in mice. A single subprotective dose of felbamate, a dose which offers no protection to animals when combined with diazepam, enhanced the protective effects of diazepam against seizures induced by electroshock, pentylenetetrazol and isoniazid, as measured by significant reduction of ED50 values. However, felbamate failed to significantly affect the protective action of diazepam against bicuculline. Felbamate does not interact directly with the GABA-benzodiazepine-ionophore complex. Thus the enhancement of anticonvulsant activity of diazepam by felbamate against maximal electroshock and pentylenetetrazol may involve an indirect effect at benzodiazepine receptors. The anticonvulsant action of felbamate against isoniazid does not seem to involve benzodiazepine receptors and may be due to reversing the inhibitory effect of isoniazid on glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) activity. The interaction between felbamate and diazepam may also involve other mechanisms.