[Use of nicotinamide and pyridoxal-5-phosphate to treat experimental epilepsy]

In experiments on cats it was shown that nicotinamide injected intravenously in a dose of 300 to 500 mg per kg body weight depressed singular epileptic foci and groups of foci with synchronized activity induced in the animals' brain cortex by application of strychnine (0.1 ml of 3% solution). The vitamin was also effective, though to a lesser degree, in depressing foci induced by application of penicillin (2% solution). Pyridoxal-5-phosphate (Pyr-5-Ph) injected intravenously in a dose of 10 mg/kg depressed singular foci and groups of foci with synchronized activity induced by application of 2% solution of penicillin, but was less effective in depressing strychnine-induced foci. Combined application of both drugs even in lower doses (nicotinamide, 200 mg/kg; Pyr-5-Ph, 5 mg/kg) resulted in depression of groups of epileptic foci induced by combined application of strychnine and penicillin. Mechanisms of the effects discovered are discussed. A question on possible use of combined nicotinamide and pyridoxal-5-phosphate in the treatment of epilepsy is raised.