Anticonvulsant, hypnotic and muscle relaxant effects of carbenoxolone, the synthetic constituent of licorice in mice

The anticonvulsant, hypnotic and muscle relaxant effects of carbenoxolone were studied in mice. In pentylenetetrazole test ED50 values of diazepam and carbenoxolone were 1.13 mg/kg (95% CL: 0.89-1.44) and 283.3 mg/kg (95% CL: 144.27-556.29), respectively. In this test, carbenoxolone in doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg prolonged the onset time of seizure and decreased the duration of seizures. Carbenoxolone induced a protective activity against seizure in comparison with diazepam (0.1, 0.5 mg/kg), but not a complete protection against mortality. Anticonvulsant efficacy of carbenoxolone was similar as diazepam at a doses of 0-5 mg/kg. In maximal electroshock test, carbenoxolone in a dose of 400 mg/kg decreased the duration of seizure and produced protection against seizure but failed to protect against mortality in comparison with diazepam (0.25, 0.5, 3 mg/kg). In the potentiation of pentobarbitone sleep test, carbenoxolone signifiantly increased sleeping time and decreased latency dose dependently in of 100, 200, 300 mg/kg in mice. In traction test carbenoxolone (400 mg/kg) showed muscle relaxant activity (60%) and in accelerod performance carbenoxolone in doses of 300, 200 mg/kg showed a decline in motor function. It can be concluded that carbenoxolone posses anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant and hypnotic effects which may be have an efficacy in petitmal and grandmal seizures.