Low Dose Zinc Supplementation Beneficially Affects Seizure Development in Experimental Seizure Models in Rats

Abstract

The role of zinc in seizure models and with antiepileptic drugs sodium valproate (SV) and phenytoin (PHT) was studied using experimental models of seizures in rats. Male Wistar rats, 150-250 g were administered zinc 2, 20, and 200 mg/kg, orally for 14 days. Sixty minutes after the last dose of zinc, rats were challenged with pentylenetetrazole (PTZ, 60 mg/kg, ip) or maximal electroshock (MES, 70 mA, 0.2 s duration). In another group, SV (150/300 mg/kg, ip) or PHT (40 mg/kg, ip) was administered after 30 min of zinc administration followed by seizure challenge. Zinc pretreatment at all doses had no effect on MES seizures. In PTZ seizures, with the lowest dose used, i.e., 2 mg/kg, a protective effect was observed. Neither the protection offered by the 100 % anticonvulsant dose of SV (300 mg/kg) in PTZ seizures was affected by pre-treatment with zinc nor a combination of subanticonvulsant dose of SV (150 mg/kg) and zinc offer any statistically significant advantage over either drug alone. The combination of phenytoin with zinc had no effect on any of the parameters tested. Apart from this, chronic zinc administration hampered development of chemically (PTZ)-kindled seizures in rats. Zinc supplementation is unlikely to have any undesirable effect when used in epileptics rather it may offer advantage in epileptic and seizure prone patients.

Zinc supplementation prolongs the latency of hyperthermia-induced febrile seizures in rats

“…Our work clearly shows that experimental Zn 2+ supplementation prolonged the seizure latency and elevated the seizure threshold. Although, there is not enough research to examine Zn 2+ supplementation in the seizures treatment, our findings are similar to the results of Kumar et al (11). However, it is unclear whether Zn 2+ supplementation modulates one or both of these parameters.…”

“…Studies of the pathogenesis of febrile seizures (FSs), the most common type of seizure in children, found that Zn 2+ levels were low in both the serum and the CSF (16). The effect of Zn 2+ treatment in different experimental seizure models have been evaluated by Kumar H. et al (11). This study has shown that the lowest dose Zn 2+ supplementation in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) seizure model has a protective effect and the Zn 2+ pretreatment in maximal electroshock (MES) model has no effect.…”

Comparison of Serum Trace Nutrient Concentrations in Epileptics Compared to Healthy Dogs

“…In those patients, zinc supplementation significantly reduced seizure frequency and when the zinc supplement was discontinued, the seizure activity recurred (24). There is also some evidence that zinc supplementation decreases seizure activity in experimental seizure models in rats (25). Additionally, there are a few case reports in human epileptics documenting a selenium deficiency that improved with selenium supplementation (12,21,26).…”

In vitro effects of Zinc in soluble and homeopathic formulations on macrophages and astrocytes

“…Low zinc levels are associated with decreased cell survival, altered neuronal differentiation, and, in particular, synaptic function. 16 The lower zinc concentration is related to aging and to some pathological events like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 17 aluminium-induced neurodegeneration, 18 epilepsy, 19 and the beneficial effects of zinc supplementation is documented in these cases. A low zinc bioavailability during aging has been linked to abnormal increments of zinc-bound MTs in hippocampus of old rats.…”