SummaryEpilepsy is one of the most common neurologic disorders affecting approximately 1% of the general population, and no alleviation was achieved in one third of the patients medicated with antiepileptic drugs. Current treatments of epilepsy are symptomatic and have more anti-seizure effects than antiepileptic effects. These therapies do not cure epilepsy. Basic mechanisms of epilepsy have not entirely been clarified yet. Using seizure and epilepsy animal models, our comprehension about basic mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis has improved. In addition, animal models of epilepsy and seizures are very useful in the discovery and development of new antiepileptic drugs. Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) is widely used in antiepileptic drug discovery studies, and PTZ kindling model is very important to understand the pathophysiology of epilepsy. In this review, current information about PTZ kindling model was given in this aspect.Key words: Chemical kindling; epilepsy; experimental animal models; pentylenetetrazole; rat. ÖzetEpilepsi genel popülasyonun yaklaşık %1'ini etkileyen en yaygın nörolojik düzensizliklerden biridir. Antiepileptik ilaç tedavisi gören hastaların üçte birinde hiçbir hafifleme elde edilememektedir. Epilepsi için kullanılan güncel tedaviler semptomatiktir ve antiepileptik etkiden ziyade anti nöbet etkilidir. Bu tedaviler epilepsiyi tedavi etmemektedir. Epilepsinin temel mekanizmaları da henüz tam olarak anlaşılamamıştır. Nö-bet ve epilepsi hayvan modelleri kullanılarak epilepsinin temelinde yatan mekanizmaları kavrayışımız ilerlemektedir. Ayrıca epilepsi ve nöbet hayvan modelleri yeni antiepileptik ilaç keşfi ve gelişimi bakımından kullanışlıdırlar. Pentilentetrazol (PTZ), antiepileptik ilaç keşif çalışmala-rında yaygın biçimde kullanılmaktadır ve PTZ tutuşma modeli epilepsinin patofizyolojisinin anlaşılması bakımından oldukça önemlidir. Bu

Preeclampsia is a disease characterized by hypertension and proteinuria occurred after 20 weeks of gestation. Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality.  The pathophysiological mechanism of preeclampsia is not known exactly yet. Preeclampsia endothelial cell dysfunction, associated with inadequate trophoblastic invasion is characterized by abnormal placentation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) according to is an angiogenic cytokine, Annexin A5 is among endogenous peptides are both expressed from placental trophoblasts and Apelin is a multifunctional peptide and expressed by placental trophoblasts and endothelial cells. It was aimed to investigate roles of these parameters occurring in preeclampsia and to compare immunoreactivity of them in normal and preeclamptic placenta. In this study, placentas were collected from 20 normotensive pregnant women as controls, 16 mild-preeclamptic pregnant women, and 16 severe preeclamptic women. VEGF, Annexin A5 and Apelin were examined in samples of placenta tissues by streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex immunohistochemical methods. Immunoreactivity scores (IRS) were obtained for each parameter.  VEGF and Apelin IRS were increased significantly in preeclamptic groups compared with control group (p <0.026, p<0.002 respectively). But Annexin A5 IRS was decreased significantly in preeclamptic groups compared with control group (p<0.04). In correlation with the intensity of disease, increase in VEGF and Apelin, and decrease in Annexin A5 supports roles of hemo-dynamic alterations in fetoplacental circulation and structural alterations in uteroplacental bed occurring in preeclampsia.

Statistically significant alterations were detected in the serum and brain levels of these three peptides in both the PTZ-induced chronic epilepsy model and acute seizure model. The results of this study may suggest that the increase in FNDC5/irisin and nesfatin-1 levels, and the decrease in ghrelin levels may contribute to seizure pathophysiology. However, further studies are needed in order to confirm our hypothesis.

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We investigated the effects of Leontice leontopetalum and Bongardia chrysogonum on apoptosis, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA A ) receptor positive cell number, cyclin-B1 and bcl-2 levels and oxidative stress in pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) kindling in rats. Kindling was produced by subconvulsant doses of PTZ treatments in rats. Wistar albino rats were divided into 4 groups; Control, PTZ treated (PTZ), PTZ+L. leontopetalum extract treated (PTZ+LLE) and PTZ+B. chrysogonum extract treated (PTZ+BCE) groups. Extracts were given a dose (200 mg/kg) 2h before each PTZ injection. PTZ treatment significantly decreased the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and bcl-2 levels and increased the total oxidant status (TOS), malondialdehyde (MDA), cyclin B1, oxidative stress index (OSI) and number of neurons that expressed GABA A receptors when compared to the control. LLE and BCE possessed antioxidant activity in the brain and ameliorated PTZ induced oxidative stress, decreased cyclin-B1, increased bcl-2 levels, and kept the GABA A receptor number similar to that of the control despite the PTZ application.