Copyright © 1999 by Institute of Pharmacology
Polish Academy of Sciences
Pol. J. Pharmacol., 1999, 51, 357-361
ISSN 1230-6002

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SHORT COMMUNICATION
VALPROATE- AND AMINOPHYLLINE-INDUCED ‘WET DOG SHAKES’ - A FUNCTION OF DOSE AND TIME
Prathibha E. A. Jose, Poonam Kullu, Joy David, Chanda Kulkarni#
Department of Pharmacology, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore - 560 034, India

Valproate- and aminophylline-induced ‘wet dog shakes’ - a function of dose and time. P.E.A. JOSE, P. KULLU, J. DAVID, C. KULKARNI. Pol. J. Pharmacol., 1999, 51, 357-361.

The time course of appearance of ‘wet dot shakes’ (WDS) was examined following valproic acid (VPA, 100, 200, 300, 400 mg/kg ip) and aminophylline (AMP, 50, 100, 150 mg/kg ip) injections. VPA and AMP at various doses showed a qualitative difference in their ability to induce WDS with no difference in intensity, confirming ‘all or none’ nature of the phenomenon. There was a significant (p < 0.001), dose-dependent increase in the number of whole body shakes following first three doses of VPA but not after the administration of its highest dose (400 mg/kg). In contrast, the numbers of WDS produced by AMP were inversely proportional to its increasing doses. The maximum numbers of WDS were observed at 300 mg/kg of VPA and 50 mg/kg of AMP, within 10 min and 20-30 min during 1 h and 1 h 30 min observation period, respectively. The present stereotyped behavior induced by acute, single dose administration of VPA and AMP in non-toxic doses, being a reproducible phenomenon, lasting for a brief period may be anticipated to serve as a tool to explore mechanisms underlying WDS.

Key words: rat, wet dog shakes, valproic acid, aminophylline

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