Effect of milacemide, a glycinamide derivative, on the rat brain gamma-aminobutyric acid system

Milacemide (CP 1552 S, 2-n-pentylaminoacetamide), a drug with anti-epileptic potency, increases the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content specifically in the substantia nigra of rat brain. The effect is dose-related from 25 to 100 mg/kg p.o. The time course shows that at 100 mg/kg p.o. after 2, 3 and 4 hr the substantia nigra GABA content is significantly increased by 28, 33 and 38%, respectively. After 6 hr the GABA contents return to the control value. After repeated oral administration of milacemide a comparable effect to acute administration is obtained. After degeneration of the striato-nigral GABA-ergic pathway, milacemide no longer enhances the content of GABA in the substantia nigra. GABA-transaminase activity measured ex vivo in rat brain homogenate is not influenced by milacemide. On the other hand, the glutamate decarboxylase activity measured ex vivo 3 hr after 100 mg/kg of milacemide is significantly increased by 11% in homogenates of the whole rat brain. The results show that milacemide increases the GABA content in the GABA pool which is associated with the striato-nigral neurons. This increase is not due to GABA-transaminase inhibition but might be the result of an enhanced synthesis, possibly through glutamate decarboxylase activation.