Abstract
A substantial number of epileptic patients are resistant to the current medication thus necessitating the search for alternative therapies for intractable forms of the disease. Previous studies demonstrated the acute anticonvulsant properties of the methanol extract of the stem bark of Psychotria camptopus (MEPC) in rats. This study investigated the effects of MEPC on pentylenetetrazole-kindled Wistar rats. Kindling was induced by intraperitoneal injection of pentylenetetrazole (37.5 mg/kg) on every alternate day, 1 h after each daily oral pretreatment of rats (8 ≤ n ≤ 10) with MEPC (40, 80 and 120 mg/kg), vehicle or diazepam (3 mg/kg) for 43 days. The kindling development was monitored based on seizure episodes and severity. Rats’ brains were collected on day 43 for the determination of oxidative stress parameters. The histomorphological features and neuronal cell viability of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus were also assessed using H&E and Cresyl violet stains. Chronic administration of pentylenetetrazole time-dependently decreased the latency to myoclonic and generalized seizures, and increased seizure scores and the number of kindled rats. MEPC and diazepam significantly increased the latencies to myoclonic jerks and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. These substances also reduced seizure score and the number of rats with PTZ-kindling. MEPC improved glutathione status and decreased lipid peroxidation in the brains of kindled rats. MEPC also exhibited neuroprotection against pentylenetetrazole-induced hippocampal and PFC neuronal damages. These results suggest that P. camptopus has antiepileptogenic activity, which might be related to the augmentation of antioxidant and neuroprotective defense mechanisms, and further confirm its usefulness in the management of epilepsy.
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Abbreviations
- MEPC:
-
Methanol extract of the stem bark of Psychotria camptopus
- PFC:
-
prefrontal cortex
- ROS:
-
reactive oxygen species
- RNS:
-
reactive nitrogen species
- PTZ:
-
pentylenetetrazole
- TLE:
-
temporal lobe epilepsy
- NBF:
-
neutral buffer formalin
- MDA:
-
malondialdehyde
- GSH:
-
glutathione
- SOD:
-
superoxide dismutase
- CAT:
-
catalase
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the West African Research Association (WARA) for the financial support through the WARA travel grant 2019. We thank the University of Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria for the facilities provided.
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This work benefits from the support of the West African Research Association (WARA) through the WARA Travel Grant 2019.
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Fokoua, A.R., Ajayi, A.M., Ben-Azu, B. et al. The antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of the Psychotria camptopus Verd. Hook. (Rubiaceae) stem bark methanol extract contributes to its antiepileptogenic activity against pentylenetetrazol kindling in male Wistar rats. Metab Brain Dis 36, 2015–2027 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-021-00825-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-021-00825-1