Hemopressin and Pep19 are examples of intracellular peptides pharmacologically characterized as inverse agonists to cannabinoid type 1 G-protein coupled receptors (CB1R), and hemopressin fragment NFKF is shown herein to attenuate the symptoms of pilocarpine-induced epileptic seizures.
The selective activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptor-mediated neurotransmission in the brain may enhance levetiracetam-related suppression of seizures in epilepsy patients, contributing to the efficacious treatment of epilepsy in future.
The electrophysiological evidence suggests that there is no possible interaction between urethane and cannabinoid CB1 receptors in this experimental model of epilepsy.
These data indicate that the anticonvulsant action of the CB system is specific to CB1 receptor activation during early development and provide justification for further examination of CB1 receptor agonists as novel antiepileptic drugs targeting epilepsy in infants and children.