This study examined the capacity of a known pro-epileptic drug, pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), to elicit seizure-like activity in the medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana. During in vivo experiments, PTZ elicited increased motor activity in a concentration-dependent manner with the highest concentration (10 mM) eliciting episodes of highly uncoordinated exploratory and swimming behavior. Co-application of the anti-epileptic drug, phenytoin, failed to reduce the absolute amount of PTZ-induced motor behavior, but was able to prevent expression of abnormal exploratory and swimming behaviors. During in vitro experiments in which extracellular recordings of connective nerve activity were made, bath application of 1 μM PTZ in Mg²⁺-free saline elicited a significant increase in spontaneous activity. This PTZ-induced increase in activity was completely inhibited by phenytoin. Interestingly, PTZ-induced hyperactivity was also blocked by co-application of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol and the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine. These findings suggest that the leech can be a useful system in which to study potential anti-epileptic treatments.

中文翻译：

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戊四唑诱导的药用水ech样癫痫发作行为和神经活动亢进。

这项研究检查了已知的前癫痫药物戊四氮（PTZ）在药用水ech Hirudo verbana中引起癫痫样活动的能力。在体内实验过程中，PTZ以浓度依赖的方式引起运动活动增加，最高浓度（10 mM）引起高度不协调的探索和游泳行为。抗癫痫药苯妥英钠的共同应用未能减少PTZ诱导的运动行为的绝对量，但能够防止异常的探索性行为和游泳行为的表达。在进行结缔神经活动的细胞外记录的体外实验过程中，将1μMPTZ浸入Mg ^2+中不含生理盐水会引起自发活动的显着增加。这种PTZ诱导的活性增加被苯妥英钠完全抑制。有趣的是，通过共同应用内源性大麻素2-花生四烯酸甘油酯和选择性5-羟色胺再摄取抑制剂（SSRI）氟西汀也可以阻止PTZ诱导的机能亢进。这些发现表明，水ech可能是研究潜在的抗癫痫治疗的有用系统。