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ABSTRACT: Vitamin C (VIT C) is an exogenous antioxidant able to alter the brain oxidative stress. Antioxidant properties have been showed in seizures and status epilepticus (SE) induced by pilocarpine in adult rats. This present study was aimed at was investigating the VIT C effects on latency to first seizure, in percentage of seizures, mortality rate, as well as hippocampal lipid peroxidation levels and catalase activity after seizures and SE. The VIT C effects were investigated after the pretreatment with dose 250 mg/kg, i.p., 30 min before pilocarpine administration (400mg/kg, s.c., pilocarpine group (P400)). The VIT C increase the latency to first seizure and decrease the mortality rate and lipid peroxidation levels. In P400+VIT C and VIT C groups were observed an increase in hippocampal catalase activity. Our results suggests that the vitamin C can exert antioxidant and anticonvulsive effects in adult rats, suggesting that this vitamin can be able by reduction of lipid peroxidation content and increased of catalase enzymatic activity which cerebral compensatory mechanisms in free radical formation during SE.
Neuroscience Letters 07/2007; 420(1):76-9. · 2.11 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: : Oxidative stress has been implicated in a large number of human degenerative diseases, including epilepsy. Levetiracetam (LEV) is a new antiepileptic agent with broad-spectrum effects on seizures and animal models of epilepsy. Recently, it was demonstrated that the mechanism of LEV differs from that of conventional antiepileptic drugs. Objectifying to investigate if LEV mechanism of action involves antioxidant properties, lipid peroxidation levels, nitrite-nitrate formation, catalase activity, and glutathione (GSH) content were measured in adult mice brain. The neurochemical analyses were carried out in hippocampus of animals pretreated with LEV (200 mg/kg, i.p.) 60 min before pilocarpine-induced seizures (400 mg/kg, s.c.). The administration of alone pilocarpine, 400 mg/kg, s.c. (P400) produced a significant increase of lipid peroxidation level in hippocampus. LEV pretreatment was able to counteract this increase, preserving the lipid peroxidation level in normal value. P400 administration also produced increase in the nitrite-nitrate formation and catalase activity in hippocampus, beyond a decrease in GSH levels. LEV administration before P400 prevented the P400-induced alteration in nitrite-nitrate levels and preserved normal values of catalase activity in hippocampus. Moreover, LEV administration prevented the P400-induced loss of GSH in this cerebral area. The present data suggest that the protective effects of LEV against pilocarpine-induced seizures can be mediated, at least in part, by reduction of lipid peroxidation and hippocampal oxidative stress.
Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology 06/2007; 27(3):395-406. · 1.97 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Experimental manipulations suggest that in vivo administration of exogenous antioxidants agents decreases the concentration of free radical in the brain. Neurochemical studies have proposed a role for catalase in brain mechanisms responsible by development to status epilepticus (SE) induced by pilocarpine. The present study was aimed at was investigating the changes in catalase activities after pilocarpine-induced SE. Animals were treated with vitamin E (VIT E) 200 mg/kg (intraperitoneally (i.p.)) and, 30 min later, they received pilocarpine hydrochloride, 400 mg/kg, subcutaneous (s.c.) (P400). Other three groups received VIT E (200 mg/kg, i.p.), pilocarpine (400 mg/kg, s.c.) or 0.9% NaCl (control) alone. Animals were closely observed for behavioral changes, tremors, stereotyped movements, seizures, SE and death, for 24 h following the pilocarpine injection. The brains were dissected after decapitation. The results have shown that pilocarpine administration and resulting SE produced a significant increase in hippocampal catalase activity of (88%). In the group pre-treated which VIT E in hippocampal catalase activity was increase of 67% and 214% when compared with P400 and control group, respectively. Our results demonstrated a direct evidence of an increase in the activity of the hippocampal catalase of rat adults during seizure activity and after the pre-treated which VIT E that could be responsible by regulation of free radical levels during the establishment of SE.
Neuroscience Letters 05/2007; 416(3):227-30. · 2.11 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Status epilepticus (SE) is clinically defined as prolonged electrical and clinical seizure activity in which the patient does not regain consciousness to a normal alert state between repeated tonic-clonic attacks. The disorder is a neurological emergency associated with a mortality rate of 10-12% and an even greater morbidity. SE can lead to permanent pathological damage and altered physiological function in certain brain regions and induces major changes in membrane phospholipids, massive increases in arachidonic acid concentrations, diacylglycerol-mediated activation, of protein kinase C, calcium-mediated changes in calmodulin kinase II and possibly generation of free radicals that could play an essential role in the mechanism of oxidative stress involved in neural damage. SE can be characterized by a permanent change in neurotransmitter systems and oxidative stress that it is more facilitated in the brain rather than in other tissues because it contains large quantities of oxidizable lipids and metals. The role of monoamines, amino acid and oxidative stress in pilocarpine- induced SE will be investigated in hippocampus, striatum and frontal cortex of adult rats. The SE studied will be induced by pilocarpine (400mg/kg, s.c.) and the results observed were investigated during acute phase. The data obtained suggests that pilocarpine induced amino acid and oxidative stress changes in brain regions that are similar to the one verified in human temporal lobe epilepsy.
Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry(Formerly Current Medicinal Chemistry - Central Nervous System Agents) 02/2007; 7(1):11-15.
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ABSTRACT: Levetiracetam (LEV) is a new antiepileptic drug effective as adjunctive therapy for partial seizures. It displays a unique pharmacological profile against experimental models of seizures, including pilocarpine-induced seizures in rodents. Aiming to clarify if anticonvulsant activity of LEV occurs due to cholinergic alterations, adult male mice received LEV injections before cholinergic agonists' administration. Pretreatment with LEV (30-200 mg/kg, i.p.) increased the latencies of seizures, but decreased status epilepticus and death on the seizure model induced by pilocarpine, 400 mg/kg, s.c. (P400). LEV (LEV200, 200 mg/kg, i.p.) pretreatment also reduced the intensity of tremors induced by oxotremorine (0.5 mg/kg, i.p). [3H]-N-methylscopolamine-binding assays in mice hippocampus showed that LEV200 pretreatment reverts the downregulation on muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR), induced by P400 administration, bringing back these density values to control ones (0.9% NaCl, i.p.). However, subtype-specific-binding assays revealed that P400- and LEV-alone treatments result in M1 and M2 subtypes decrease, respectively. The agonist-like behavior of LEV on the inhibitory M2 mAChR subtype, observed in this work, could contribute to explain the reduction on oxotremorine-induced tremors and the delay on pilocarpine-induced seizures, by an increase in the attenuation of neuronal activity mediated by the M1 receptors.
Neuroscience Letters 10/2005; 385(3):184-8. · 2.11 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Behavioural changes, muscarinic and dopaminergic receptors density and levels of monoamines were measured in striatum of rats after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). Wistar rats at the age of 21 days were treated with pilocarpine (400mg/kg; subcutaneously) whilst the control group was treated with 0.9% saline (s.c.). Both groups were sacrificed 1h following the treatment. SE induced a muscarinic receptor downregulation of 64% in pilocarpine group. This effect was also observed to be 57% in D(1) and 32% in D(2). In the dissociation constant (K(d)) values in muscarinic and D(1) receptor no alterations were verified. On the other hand, the K(d) value for D(2) was observed to increase 41%. High performance liquid chromatography determinations showed 63, 35, 77 and 64% decreases in dopamine, 3-methoxy-phenylacetic acid, serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid contents, respectively. The homovanilic acid level was verified to increase 119%. The noradrenaline content was unaltered. A direct evidence of monoamine levels alterations can be verified during seizure activity and receptor density changes appear to occur in an accentuated way in immature brain during the estabilishment of SE induced by pilocarpine.
Neuroscience Letters 383(1-2):165-70. · 2.11 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Experimental manipulations suggest that in vivo administration of exogenous antioxidants agents decreases the concentration of free radical in the brain. Neurochemical studies have proposed a role for catalase in brain mechanisms responsible by development to status epilepticus (SE) induced by pilocarpine. The present study was aimed at was investigating the changes in catalase activities after pilocarpine-induced SE. Animals were treated with vitamin E (VIT E) 200 mg/kg (intraperitoneally (i.p.)) and, 30 min later, they received pilocarpine hydrochloride, 400 mg/kg, subcutaneous (s.c.) (P400). Other three groups received VIT E (200 mg/kg, i.p.), pilocarpine (400 mg/kg, s.c.) or 0.9% NaCl (control) alone. Animals were closely observed for behavioral changes, tremors, stereotyped movements, seizures, SE and death, for 24 h following the pilocarpine injection. The brains were dissected after decapitation. The results have shown that pilocarpine administration and resulting SE produced a significant increase in hippocampal catalase activity of (88%). In the group pre-treated which VIT E in hippocampal catalase activity was increase of 67% and 214% when compared with P400 and control group, respectively. Our results demonstrated a direct evidence of an increase in the activity of the hippocampal catalase of rat adults during seizure activity and after the pre-treated which VIT E that could be responsible by regulation of free radical levels during the establishment of SE.
Neuroscience Letters.
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[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Levetiracetam (LEV) is a new antiepileptic drug effective as adjunctive therapy for partial seizures. It displays a unique pharmacological profile against experimental models of seizures, including pilocarpine-induced seizures in rodents. Aiming to clarify if anticonvulsant activity of LEV occurs due to cholinergic alterations, adult male mice received LEV injections before cholinergic agonists’ administration. Pretreatment with LEV (30–200 mg/kg, i.p.) increased the latencies of seizures, but decreased status epilepticus and death on the seizure model induced by pilocarpine, 400 mg/kg, s.c. (P400). LEV (LEV200, 200 mg/kg, i.p.) pretreatment also reduced the intensity of tremors induced by oxotremorine (0.5 mg/kg, i.p). [3H]-N-methylscopolamine-binding assays in mice hippocampus showed that LEV200 pretreatment reverts the downregulation on muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR), induced by P400 administration, bringing back these density values to control ones (0.9% NaCl, i.p.). However, subtype-specific-binding assays revealed that P400- and LEV-alone treatments result in M1 and M2 subtypes decrease, respectively. The agonist-like behavior of LEV on the inhibitory M2 mAChR subtype, observed in this work, could contribute to explain the reduction on oxotremorine-induced tremors and the delay on pilocarpine-induced seizures, by an increase in the attenuation of neuronal activity mediated by the M1 receptors.
Neuroscience Letters.
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[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Behavioural changes, muscarinic and dopaminergic receptors density and levels of monoamines were measured in striatum of rats after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). Wistar rats at the age of 21 days were treated with pilocarpine (400 mg/kg; subcutaneously) whilst the control group was treated with 0.9% saline (s.c.). Both groups were sacrificed 1 h following the treatment. SE induced a muscarinic receptor downregulation of 64% in pilocarpine group. This effect was also observed to be 57% in D1 and 32% in D2. In the dissociation constant (Kd) values in muscarinic and D1 receptor no alterations were verified. On the other hand, the Kd value for D2 was observed to increase 41%. High performance liquid chromatography determinations showed 63, 35, 77 and 64% decreases in dopamine, 3-methoxy-phenylacetic acid, serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid contents, respectively. The homovanilic acid level was verified to increase 119%. The noradrenaline content was unaltered. A direct evidence of monoamine levels alterations can be verified during seizure activity and receptor density changes appear to occur in an accentuated way in immature brain during the estabilishment of SE induced by pilocarpine.
Neuroscience Letters.
