Anti-epileptic properties of oleamide

Epilepsy is a heterogeneous group of disorders. It is the most common neurological disorder after the stroke, with a 2–3% life-time risk of being given a diagnosis of epilepsy [1]. Antiepileptogenic drugs that retard or prevent epileptogenesis are not yet available [2]. Extract of the plant Aquilegia vulgaris is widely used in folk medicine as an antiepileptic medicament [3]. We have previously demonstrated that oleamid – sleep inducing lipid and myo-inositol are two compounds acting on γ-aminobuturic acid type A receptors and hence candidates determining the anti-epileptic properties of the plant Aquilegia vulgaris [4]. Further it was shown that myo-inositol reduces the strength of seizures induced either by pentylentetrazol or kainic acid in rats. In the present work we are demonstrating that oleamid also posseses anti-epileptic features and significantly decreases the degrees of convulsions induced by pentylentetrazole in rats.