Protective Effect of Vanillic Acid Against Pentylenetetrazole -Induced Convulsions in Male Rats

Document Type : Original article

Authors

Persian Gulf Physiology Research Center, Medical Basic Sciences Institute, Department of Physiology, Medical School, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy is a serious and widespread neurological disorder characterized by recurrent
seizures caused by excessive electrical activity of the brain. The aim of this study was to
investigate the effect of vanillic acid (VA) on generalized convulsions in rats. Material and Methods: To evaluate the
anticonvulsant effect of VA, we used pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), a standard method for
analyzing convulsions. Fifty-six adult male Wistar rats (200±20 g) were randomly divided
randomly into 7 groups: Control (received PTZ and VA as vehicle); PTZ (80 mg/kg, I.P);
PTZ+VA25, 50, 100 and 200 (received VA at doses of 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg,
respectively) and PTZ+PHB (received phenobarbital 80 mg/kg). VA or normal saline was
administered 30 minutes before induction of PTZ convulsion.  Results: Immediately after PTZ
administration, the following was observed in the rats: (1) Latency to onset of convulsions,
(2) Number of convulsions and (3) death for the period of 60 min and convulsion behavior.
Pain, MDA, SOD and GPx were assessed in each group. The results of the present study
showed that VA had an anticonvulsant and analgesic effect in rats with PTZ-induced
convulsions. Also, MDA level decreased after VA administration, and GPx and SOD activities
were increased by VA in PTZ-induced rats. Conclusion: The results of the current study suggest that VA
may have an anticonvulsant effect by inhibiting and/or reducing PTZ -induced seizures in
the rats used by increasing or somewhat impairing GABAergic neurotransmission.

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