Protective effects of artemisia persica essential oil against pentylenetetrazol-induced seizure in male mice with emphasizing its mechanism of action

Abstract EN

Background: a new approach in the treatment of epilepsy is to use new drugs with neuroprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects.

objectives: the study aimed to investigate the protective effects of artemisia persica essential oil (eo) against pentylenetetrazol(ptz)-induced seizure in mice.

methods: this experimental study was conducted at the izeh islamic azad university, iran.

70 male balb/c mice were divided into seven groups of 10 using simple random allocation, including control (normal saline), ptz (35 mg/kg i.p.

with 48 hours intervals and then 60 mg/kg on the 10th day), interventions (ptz plus daily i.p.

injection of eo at doses of 50, 75, and 100 mg/kg), diazepam (ptz plus eo at a dose of 100 mg/kg + diazepam), and flumazenil (ptz plus eo at a dose of 100 mg/kg + flumazenil) groups.

results: the treatment of ptz-kindled mice with 50 mg/kg of eo significantly reduced the seizure onset latency (p < 0.05).

eo at a dose of 100 mg/kg significantly decreased tonic seizures, head tics, and repeated spinning and jumping (p < 0.05).

diazepam improved, and flumazenil weakened the anticonvulsant effects of the eo.

the treatment of ptz-kindled mice with eo (100 mg/kg) significantly decreased nitric oxide and malondialdehyde, and increased the total antioxidant capacity in both serum and brain (p< 0.05).

eo at a dose of 100 mg/kg could significantly decrease il-1_ and tnf-_ expression in the brain of epileptic mice (p < 0.05).

conclusions: a.

persica eo shows anticonvulsant effects through benzodiazepine receptor binding activity and modulation of oxidative stress and the inflammatory process.