Objective: 

Memantine is an uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist that have the potential therapeutic benefits in numerous neurological disorders including epilepsy. The neuroprotective properties of ascorbic acid, pyridoxine and a-tocopherol have been documented in in some experimental epilepsy models. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of co-administration of memantine with ascorbic acid, pyridoxine and a-tocopherol on penicillin-induced epileptiform activity in rats.

Methods: 

Rats were anesthetized with urethane (1.25 g/kg, i.p) and placed in stereotaxic frame. The left cerebral cortex was exposed by craniotomy. The epileptic focus was produced by 500 units penicillin G injection into the somatomotor cortex. Pyridoxine (40 mg/kg), alpha-tocopherol (500 mg/kg) and ascorbic acid (100 mg/kg) were intraperitoneally administered 15 min after memantine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) application.

Results: 

Memantine (5mg kg, i.p) significantly decreased the epileptiform activity in the 50th minute after penicillin injection. Statistically significant reductions in epileptiform activity were started at 40th, 40th and 30th minutes after penicillin injection in the memantine+ascorbic acid, memantine+alpha– tocopherol and memantine+pyridoxine administrated groups, respectively.

Conclusions: 

The results of the present study indicate that co-administration of vitamins with memantine did not significantly change the anticonvulsant activity of memantine against penicillin-induced epileptiform activity.