Anticonvulsant effects of hesperetin in animal model of pentylenetetrazole-induced-seizures

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hesperetin as the main flavonoid in citrus possesses various pharmacological properties including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, the effects of hesperetin on seizures behavior and its function on total antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation has been investigated in pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures model. METHODS: In this experimental study, thirty-five NMRI mice were divided into five experimental groups (n=7) as control, saline and hesperetin at doses of 10, 20 or 50 mg/kg. Animals received orally the related interventions for 7 days. On day 7, 30 minutes after oral gavage, convulsion was induced by single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of PTZ at dose of 60 mg/kg. After recording of convulsion behaviors including latency to myoclonic jerks, latency and duration of generalized tonic-clonic seizures, time to death, measuring of Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) was carried out in hippocampus tissues. FINDINGS: Pretreatment with hesperetin at dose of 50 mg/kg significantly increased the latency of myoclonic jerks (hesperetin 50: 22±3.35 s, p=0.032) and generalized tonic-clonic seizures (hesperetin 10: 1±21.48 s, p=0.0003, hesperetin 20: 35.2±83.6 s, 0.001, hesperetin 50: 34.5±2.30 s, p=0.004). The use of hespertin at dose of 10 mg/kg significantly reduced TBARS values compared to saline (p<0.003) and doses of 20 and 50 mg/kg hespertin (p<0.0001). Any significant difference in FRAP levels was not observed between different experimental groups. CONCLUSION: The results of study indicate that hesperetin might be effective as supplementary treatment in epilepsy disorder.