Stable anticonvulsant action of benzodiazepines during development in rats

The anticonvulsant action of midazolam and clonazepam was studied in 168 immature rats in three age groups (12, 18 and 25 days old). Epileptic after-discharges of the spike-and-wave type accompanied by clonic seizures of facial and forelimb muscles induced by stimulation of sensorimotor cortex were used as a model. The solvent used for clonazepam exhibited a tendency to anticonvulsant action in 12-day-old rats. On the contrary, a proconvulsant action was seen in 25-day-old animals. The action of both benzodiazepines was identical and did not change substantially during development. The highest dose used (1 mg kg-1, i.p.) shortened the duration of epileptic after-discharges, the two lower doses (0.1 and 0.02 mg kg-1, i.p.) suppressed the progressive prolongation with repeated stimulations seen under control conditions. Motor correlates of stimulation remained practically uninfluenced by the two benzodiazepines, myoclonic seizures accompanying epileptic after-discharges were attenuated by the highest dose of both drugs.