The effect of agonist and antagonist of Nociceptine/Orphanin FQ receptor on seizure and cognitive dysfunction in experimental model of temporal lobe epilepsy in male rat

Background: Temporal lobe epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by spontaneous seizures, learning and memory deficiency, loss of neurons, mossy fiber sprouting and tissue apoptosis. This study was to investigate the effect of NOP receptor agonist (MCOPPB) and antagonist (SB612111) on seizure and cognitive dysfunction and histological studies in experimental model of temporal lobe epilepsy in male rat. Materials and methods: in this study, 50 male rats were divided into six groups, including sham, epileptic, valperoic treated epileptic, NOP receptor agonist and antagonist treated epileptic. Finally, seizure behavior, short-term (Y-maze) and long-term (shuttle box) memory, GFAP value and also histologic finding (Nissel, Tim and Apoptosis staining) were evaluated. Results: Kinic acid induced seizures associated with significant seizure behavior, impairment of learning and memory and tissue damage. Pretreated epileptic rats with NOP receptor agonist decreased seizure attacks, but did not improve memory. Administration of NOP antagonist was not effective on the seizure behavior, but contribute to improve the memory and learning abilities following treatment. Also, administration of NOP agonist and antagonist increased neuron count, reduced increased sprouting of mossy fibers, cell death and the activity of astrocytes in the hippocampus. Conclusion: pre-treatment of epileptic rets with NOP receptor agonist and antagonist reduced seizures attacks and improved short-term spatial memory and tissue damage in rats.