Effects of linoleic acid on generalized convulsive and nonconvulsive epileptic seizures.

BACKGROUND/AIM To comparatively investigate the effects of linoleic acid on convulsive and nonconvulsive epileptic seizures. MATERIALS AND METHODS Rats were divided into 3 groups: convulsive epileptic rats receiving only pentylentetrazole (PTZ) injections (group 1), convulsive epileptic rats receiving PTZ and linoleic acid (group 2), and Wistar Albino Glaxo rats from Rijswijk with genetic absence epilepsy receiving linoleic acid (group 3). The duration and severity of convulsive activity were determined in groups in which convulsive seizures were induced by PTZ. In group 3, intravenous linoleic acid was administered after 1-h baseline electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. The EEG recordings were analyzed. RESULTS When groups 1 and 2 were compared, the delay in onset of minor seizures and the decrease in the number of rats developing major seizures were found statistically significant. When the mean spike-wave discharge number and duration values for the rats in group 3 were compared to baseline values, a statistically significant increase was found in the 1st and 6th hours and there was no significant difference in the 24th hour. CONCLUSION While our study shows that linoleic acid may be effective in the treatment of generalized convulsive epilepsy along with conventional antiepileptic drugs used in epilepsy treatment, it reports that linoleic acid is not appropriate in the treatment of nonconvulsive epilepsies.