Pharmacological research : the official journal of the Italian Pharmacological Society
-
Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are commonly prescribed for a wide range of disorders other than epilepsy, including both neurological and psychiatric disorders. AEDs play also a role in pharmacological management of neuropathic pain. Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is a disabling morbidity occurring in 35% of patients with stroke. ⋯ AEDs include many different drugs acting on pain through several mechanisms, such as reduction of neuronal hyperexcitability. To our knowledge conclusive evidence has not been published yet. The aim of this review is to delineate efficacy and safety of AEDs in CPSP.
-
H(2)S, a gaseous signalling molecule, relaxes blood vessels partly through activation of ATP-sensitive K(+) channels. It is however unclear whether H(2)S or its donors could affect other ion transporting proteins. The present study examined the hypothesis that NaHS, a H(2)S donor inhibits voltage-sensitive Ca(2+) channels and thus relaxes vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in the cerebral arteries. ⋯ H(2)S precursor l-cysteine-induced relaxation in cerebral arteries was inhibited by cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) inhibitor dl-propargylglycine. CSE was expressed in cerebral arteries. In summary, NaHS dilates rat cerebral arteries by reducing l-type Ca(2+) currents and suppressing [Ca(2+)](i) of arterial myocyte, indicating that NaHS relaxes cerebral arteries primarily through inhibiting Ca(2+) influx via Ca(2+) channels.