Gabapentin modifies extracellular opioid peptide content in amygdala: a microdialysis study

Opioid peptide release was monitored in the amygdala and hippocampus of freely moving rats following a single oral administration of gabapentin using microdialysis. Extracellular opioid peptide levels were elevated above basal levels in the amygdala within the first 60 (54%) and 90 min (68%) after gabapentin administration. Levels returned to basal conditions 120 min following the treatment. No significant changes were detected in the hippocampus. The majority of immunoreactive material recovered from the amygdala following gabapentin administration was identified as Leu-enkephalin and Met-enkephalin by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. It is proposed that the enhanced opioid peptide release in the amygdala induced by gabapentin might be involved with the antiepileptic effects as well as with some adverse events produced by this drug.