Amino Acid Neurotransmitter Levels in the Cerebral Cortex of Mice Receiving Imipenem/Cilastatin -Lack of Excitotoxicity in the Central Nervous System

Authors: Mete AKISÜ, Nilgün KÜLTÜRSAY, Canan ÇOKER, Çiler AKISÜ, Meral BAKA

Abstract: Imipenem, a very potent carbapenem derivative beta-lactam antibiotic, has recently found a major place in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant nosocomial infections. However, a convulsive side effect is seen in 0.2-3 percent of patients. Although it is suggested that this effect is due to the inhibition of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) mediated inhibitory transmission, no study has been reported so far showing its effect on the cerebral cortex free inhibitory and excitatory amino acid levels. Twenty-one male TO albino mice were divided into three equal groups and given therapeutic (40 mg/kg/day) or excessive (500 mg/kg/day) doses of Imipenem/cilastatine (I/C) or saline solution intraperitoneally for 7 days. All animals in the excessive dose group showed seizure-like acivity with ataxia and loss of gait. However, no differences in aspartate, glumatate, glycine or GABA levels were seen on gas chromatographic evaluation of the cerebral cortexes of all three groups of animals, which were dispatched on the 7th day. Therefore it is suggested that imipenem exerts its convulsive effect without causing any change in neurotansmitter levels of barin, possibly by effecting the neuronal receptors directly.

Keywords: Amino acid, imipenem, mice, neurotoxicity.

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