Investigation of the Effect of Folic Acid on Ethosuximide in Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Acute Seizures in Mice

Abstract

Purpose: Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent neurological diseases today. Despite various treatments, there is still no complete seizure control. Studies have shown the positive effects of folic acid (FA) and its derivatives on seizures. The objective of this study is to investigate Caspase-3 and TOS activity in brain tissues as well as the effect of folic acid on ethosuximide (ETX) in mice with pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures. Materials and Methods: In this study, 30 mice of BALB/c species were divided randomly into 5 groups: Control; pen-tylenetetrazol (PTZ); PTZ-induced seizure group; FA in which 3 mg/kg FA and PTZ were administered for 7 days; ETX in which 50 mg/kg ETX and PTZ were administered for 7 days; FA+ ETX in which 3 mg/kg FA and 50 mg/kg ETX and PTZ were administered for 7 days. The brain tissues of all mice were dissected, then the cortex and hippocampus were separated 24 hours after PTZ application. Results: FA, ETX and FA+ETX groups significantly decreased the seizure stage compared to the PTZ group, and similarly prolonged the first myoclonic jerk times, but the FA and FA+ETX groups were found to decrease the onset of generalizedtonic–clonic seizures (p<0.05). However, the FA and FA+ETX groups decreased the hippocampal TOS levels. (p<0.05). Similarly, hippocampal caspase-3 levels were lower in the FA group (p<0.05). Conclusion: FA can be a useful therapeutic agent for the treatment of epilepsy with its antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties. The synergistic effect of FA with ETX can promote its protective effect against neuronal damage

Keywords

• ethosuximide
• folic acid
• pentylenetetrazole (ptz)