Purpose: The pleiotropic effects of statins (antioxidant and anti-inflammation) have been reported by previous studies. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether pitavastatin has protective effects against pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced kindling in mice and also whether pitavastatin improves the brain antioxidant capacity and attenuates the oxidative injuries in kindled mice. Methods: Twenty-fo...

An important role for oxidative stress both as a consequence and as a cause of epileptic seizures has been suggested. Since Achillea wilhelmsii (A. wilhelmsii) has been considered to have the antioxidant effects as well as central nervous system depressant properties, the anti-seizure effects of the plant extract in addition to its effects on brain tissues oxidative damage were investigated in ...

Brain cyclooxygenases (COX), the rate-limiting enzyme in prostaglandin synthesis, is rapidly and transiently induced by convulsions in hippocampal and cortical neurons. Previous studies have explored the protective effect of naproxen (non-selective COX-inhibitor) or rofecoxib (selective COX-2 inhibitor) against chemical kindling in mice. With this background, the present study was designed to e...

Many anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) that mainly target ion channels or post-synaptic receptors are in clinical use, but a proportion of patients are resistant to these traditional AEDs and experience repeated severe break-out seizures. Given its involvement in the etiology of epilepsy, the neurotransmitter glycine may serve as a novel target for epilepsy treatment. Increasing evidence suggests tha...

The down-regulation of microRNA-328a (miR-328a) in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-kindled rats with memory impairment was demonstrated in our previous study, while any contribution of miR-328a to cognitive dysfunction of PTZ-kindled rats remains unknown. In this study we have investigated the effect and the underlying mechanism of miR-328a on the cognitive function in PTZ-kindled rats. 48 SD male rat...

Carnosine (beta-alanyl-l-histidine) has been characterized as a putative neurotransmitter. However, so far, understanding of the role of carnosine in the brain is very limited. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of carnosine on the development of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) kindling seizures and protection against the PTZ kindled seizures in rats. Chemical kindling was elicited ...

Objective: To evaluate the antiepileptic activity of aqueous extract of Centella asciatica in maximal electroshock (MES) and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced convulsions. Methods: The anticonvulsant activity of leaves of Centella asciatica (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) in mice was assessed using MES and PTZ induced seizure models. Abolition of tonic hind limb extension (MES and PTZ) and increase in...

The mechanisms of action of antiepileptic drugs effective against generalized absence seizures (antiabsence AEDs) remain uncertain. Antiabsence AEDs are generally effective against seizures induced in experimental animals by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) and methyl-6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate (DMCM), drugs which reduce GABAergic inhibition. Thus, antiabsence AEDs have been sugg...

The ATP-gated P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) is a non-selective cation channel which senses high extracellular ATP concentrations and has been suggested as a target for the treatment of neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. The use of P2X7R antagonists may therefore be a viable approach for treating CNS pathologies, including epileptic disorders. Recent studies showed anticonvulsant potentia...