The involvement of GABA(B) receptors in the behavioural and epileptic electrocortical discharges occurring in chemical kindling induced by repeated treatments with a subconvulsant dose of pentylenetetrazole (25 mg/kg i.p.) has been investigated in CD1 mice. Behavioural and electrocorticographic epileptic seizures following kindling induced by pentylenetetrazole (25 mg/kg i.p.) were attenuated or completely antagonized in a dose-dependent manner by the GABA(B) receptor agonist R-baclofen (2 and 6 mg/kg) whilst the GABA(B) receptor antagonist 3-amino-propyl-diethoxy-methyl-phosphinic acid (CGP 35348, 25, 50 or 100 mg/kg) and 3-[1-(S)-(3, 4-dichloro-phenyl-ethyl]amino-2-(S)-hydroxy-propyl-benzyl-phosphinic acid (CGP 55845A, 10 or 20 mg/kg) produced a more rapid development of kindling and an increase in behavioural and electrocorticographic epileptic changes. In addition, all GABA(B) receptor antagonists were able to induce an increase in Fos and Jun protein expression in pentylenetetrazole (25 mg/kg i.p.) treated mice whilst the GABA(B) receptor agonist R-baclofen (2 or 6 mg/kg) attenuated the expression of Fos and Jun protein, at cortical and limbic structures. In order to study the persistence of changes induced by pentylenetetrazole kindling, different groups of mice were rechallenged with a kindling stimulus 15 or 30 days after withdrawal from the last injection of vehicle+pentylenetetrazole, R-baclofen+pentylenetetrazole or GABA(B) receptor antagonists+pentylenetetrazole. The groups receiving GABA(B) receptor antagonists+pentylenetetrazole showed a higher incidence of seizures following the kindling stimulus than mice receiving vehicle+pentylenetetrazole whilst animals treated with R-baclofen were protected from the kindling stimulus. The different effects observed following repeated treatment with the GABA(B) receptor agonist and antagonist used revealed that GABA(B) receptors are able to affect the development of the epileptic kindling state induced by pentylenetetrazole.