Planta Med 2020; 86(18): 1353-1362
DOI: 10.1055/a-1229-4436
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers

Ameliorating Effects of Dorema ammoniacum on PTZ-Induced Seizures and Epileptiform Brain Activity in Rats

Marzieh Abizadeh
1   Department of Physiology, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2   Neurophysiology Research Center, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
,
3   Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
,
Negin Saeedi
1   Department of Physiology, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2   Neurophysiology Research Center, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
,
Narges Hosseinmardi
1   Department of Physiology, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2   Neurophysiology Research Center, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
,
Mahyar Janahmadi
1   Department of Physiology, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2   Neurophysiology Research Center, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
,
Farhad Salari
1   Department of Physiology, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2   Neurophysiology Research Center, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
,
Seyed Mehdi Golpayegani
1   Department of Physiology, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2   Neurophysiology Research Center, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
,
Asie Shojaii
4   Research Institute for Islamic and Complementary Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
› Author Affiliations

Abstract

The objective of the current study was to investigate the anti-epileptogenic and anticonvulsant effects of Dorema ammoniacum gum, which is used in Iranian traditional medicine for the treatment of seizures. Animals received pentylenetetrazol (IP, 30 mg/kg/48 h) for inducing seizures. Five different seizure stages were evaluated for 20 min and parameters including maximum seizure stage, the latency to the onset of stage 4, stage 4 duration, and seizure duration were measured. D. ammoniacum (50 and 100 mg/kg) or its vehicle was administered 30 min before or after pentylenetetrazol injection in different groups. In addition, the effective dose of D. ammoniacum (100 mg/kg) on different seizure stages was compared with the common antiseizure drug phenobarbital. In another set of experiments, we investigated the effective dose of D. ammoniacum on fully kindled animals in which an interictal electroencephalogram was recorded by superficial electrodes placed on the skull. The results showed that D. ammoniacum administration, before and after pentylenetetrazol injections, significantly decreased seizure stage, seizure duration, stage 4 duration, and 1/stage 4 latency. The anti-epileptogenic effect of D. ammoniacum was about 50 to 60% of phenobarbital. In addition, D. ammoniacum significantly decreased seizure stage, seizure duration, stage 4 duration, and 1/stage 4 latency when administered to fully kindled animals but had no effect on the power of EEG sub-bands. These results indicate that D. ammoniacum has anti-epileptogenic and anticonvulsant effects in a chemical kindling model of seizures.



Publication History

Received: 24 September 2019

Accepted after revision: 20 July 2020

Article published online:
26 August 2020

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