Antiseizure effects of the cannabinoids in the amygdala-kindling model

Focal impaired awareness seizures (FIASs) are the most common seizure type in adults and are often refractory to medication. Management of FIASs is clinically challenging, and new interventions are needed for better seizure control. The amygdala-kindling model is a preclinical model of FIASs with secondary generalization. The present study assessed the efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD), ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and a combination of CBD and THC in a 15:1 ratio at suppressing focal and secondarily generalized seizures in the amygdala-kindled rat.

Fully kindled, male Sprague Dawley rats, with bipolar electrodes implanted in the right amygdala, were given either CBD (0-320 mg/kg), THC (0-40 mg/kg), or a combination of CBD and THC (15:1 ratio, multiple doses) intraperitoneally. Suprathreshold kindling stimulation was administered 1 h (THC) or 2 h (CBD) after drug injection, and outcomes were assessed using focal electroencephalographic recording and the Racine seizure scale.

CBD alone produced a partial suppression of both generalized seizures (median effective dose [ED₅₀ ] = 283 mg/kg) and focal seizures (ED₄₀ = 320 mg/kg) at doses that did not produce ataxia. THC alone also produced partial suppression of generalized (ED₅₀ = 10 mg/kg) and focal (ED₅₀ = 30 mg/kg) seizures, but doses of 10 mg/kg and above produced hypolocomotion, although not ataxia. The addition of a low dose of THC to CBD (15:1) left-shifted the CBD dose-response curve, producing much lower ED₅₀ s for both generalized (ED₅₀ = 26 + 1.73 mg/kg) and focal (ED₅₀ = 40 + 2.66 mg/kg) seizures. No ataxia or hypolocomotion was seen at these doses of the CBD + THC combination.

CBD and THC both have antiseizure properties in the amygdala-kindling model, although THC produces suppression of the amygdala focus only at doses that produce hypolocomotion. The addition of small amounts of THC greatly improves the effectiveness of CBD. A combination of CBD and THC might be useful for the management of FIASs.