Anticonvulsant Effects of Dingxian Pill in Pentylenetetrazol-Kindled Rats

Abstract

Dingxian pill has been used as an antiepilepsy agent in China from ancient to modern times, of which the concrete pharmacological characterization and the underlying molecular mechanism remain unclear. The present study was undertaken to investigate them by animal behavior, electroencephalogram (EEG), Morris water maze, immunohistochemistry, transcriptomics, and real-time PCR. In our results, the treatment of Dingxian pill dose-dependently inhibited PTZ-induced seizure-like behavior and reduced the seizure grades, LFP power spectral density, and brain wave of the epileptiform EEG component induced by PTZ. In Morris water maze tests, the learning and memory ability of kindled epileptic rats could be attenuated more efficiently by Dingxian pill. For the immediate early gene c-fos, the expression was reduced after Dingxian pill treatment, and the difference was significant between the treatment and the model group. Through the transcriptome analysis of the gene expression in hippocampus, Egr3, Nrg, Arc, and Ptgs2, closely related to epilepsy, had been proved to be downregulated by application of Dingxian pill. All of the results not only highlight the antiepileptic effects of Dingxian pill and its molecular mechanism, but also provide a modern validity theory for the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Phyllathin From Phyllanthus Amarus Ameliorates Epileptic Convulsion and Kindling Associated Post-Ictal Depression in Mice via Inhibition of NF-κB/TLR-4 Pathway

“… 8 A researcher has well established the crosstalk between the COX-2 signaling and development of epilepsy. 8 , 43 The elevated response of IL-1β via activated microglia in CNS induces COX-2 synthesis in astrocytes and neuroblastoma cells clinically. 43 Additionally, TNF-α also causes induction of COX-2 expression brain capillary endothelial cells, which in turn increases vascular permeability.…”

“… 8 , 43 The elevated response of IL-1β via activated microglia in CNS induces COX-2 synthesis in astrocytes and neuroblastoma cells clinically. 43 Additionally, TNF-α also causes induction of COX-2 expression brain capillary endothelial cells, which in turn increases vascular permeability. 8 Moreover, a TLR-4, which is a toll-like receptor family member, also modulates the intracellular signaling of COX-2 via activation of NF-κB and pro-inflammatory cytokine production pathway.…”

Development of charybdotoxin Q18F variant as a selective peptide blocker of neuronal BK(α + β4) channel for the treatment of epileptic seizures

“…During LFPs analysis, same channel was selected through MATLAB (MathWorks, USA) program to export the recording data. The wavelet transform was used to decompose the signal of different LFP frequency, and get the physiological rhythm of different frequency (δ: ~0–4 Hz, θ: ~4–8 Hz, α: ~8–13 Hz:β: ~13–30 Hz, γ: ~30–100 Hz) 27,56 . The welch method, fast Fourier transform method and hamming window were used to calculate the frequency domain information of LFPs in power spectrum (PS) analysis.…”

“…The wavelet transform was used to decompose the signal of different LFP frequency, and get the physiological rhythm of different frequency (δ: $0-4 Hz, θ: $4-8 Hz, α: $8-13 Hz:β: $13-30 Hz, γ: $30-100 Hz). 27,56 The welch method, fast Fourier transform method and hamming window were used to calculate the frequency domain information of LFPs in power spectrum (PS) analysis. The time domain information of energy change was calculated by weighted operation.…”

Effect of 70% Ethanol Extract and its Solvent Fractions of Artemisia afra (Jacq. Ex Willd.) against Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizure in Mice

“…A seizure is a high-frequency paroxysmal abnormal discharge from an aggregate of neurons in the cerebral cortex, which can be “nonepileptic” when evoked in an ordinary cerebrum by treatment (such as electric shock or chemical convulsant) or “epileptic” when occurring without evident provocation [ 1 ].…”