Copyright © 2000 by Institute of Pharmacology
Polish Academy of Sciences 		Pol. J. Pharmacol., 2000, 52, 345-352
ISSN 1230-6002
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TWO ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS, L-LYSINE AND L-HISTIDINE, IN FIVE TYPES OF EXPERIMENTAL SEIZURES
 Kinga K. Borowicz1, Mariusz Świąder2, Rafał Kamiński3, Hubert Kuźniar2, Zdzisław Kleinrok2, Stanisław J. Czuczwar1,3#
 1 Department of Pathophysiology, 2 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 8, PL 20-090 Lublin, Poland,
3 Isotope Laboratory, Institute of Agricultural Medicine, Jaczewskiego 2, PL 20-090 Lublin, Poland

Two essential amino acids, L-lysine and L-histidine, in five types of experimental seizures. K.K. BOROWICZ, M. ŚWIĄDER, R. KAMIŃSKI, H. KUŹNIAR, Z. KLEINROK, S.J. CZUCZWAR. Pol. J. Pharmacol., 2000, 52, 345-352.

L-Lysine (250–2000 mg/kg) and L-histidine (1000–2000 mg/kg) significantly raised the electroconvulsive threshold. D-Histidine (1000 mg/kg) was completely ineffective in this regard. Both amino acids were generally inactive in pentetrazole-, picrotoxin- and aminophylline-induced seizures, though L-histidine (2500 mg/kg) significantly reduced the number of mice with clonic convulsions in the pentetrazole test. Also, L-lysine (2500 and 3000 mg/kg) significantly diminished mortality rate in aminophylline-induced seizures. In addition, L-lysine (2500–3000 mg/kg) and L-histidine (2000–2500 mg/kg) delayed the onset of aminophylline- and picrotoxin-evoked convulsions. L-Lysine and L-histidine (both up to 1000 mg/kg) did not affect amygdala-kindled seizures in rats. The results indicate that some of indispensable amino acids may play a role in the inhibitory transmission in the central nervous system. A possibility arises that appropriate diet may be an important supportive factor in the treatment of some epileptic patients, probably suffering from generalized tonic-clonic seizures.

Key words: L-lysine, L-histidine, electroconvulsive threshold, chemical seizures, kindling, convulsions
  # correspondence; e-mail: czuczwar@galen.imw.lublin.pl
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