Effects of Sinapic Acid on Penicillin-Induced Epileptiform Activity in Rats

In our study, we investigated the effects of sinapic acid (SA), known for its antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties, on penicillin-induced epileptiform activity in rats. Forty-two adult male Wistar rats were divided into groups: sham (Sh), only SA (oSA), control (C), diazepam (Dzm), 10 mg/kg SA (SA10), and 20 mg/kg SA (SA20). Animals were anesthetized, recording electrodes were placed on the left somatomotor cortex area, and a 120-min-long electrocorticogram (ECoG) recording was taken. Rats of four groups (C, Dzm, SA10, and SA20) were subjected to microinjections of penicillin G potassium into the left somatomotor cortex (500 U/2.0 μl); diazepam and SA were administered i.p. 30 min before the penicillin injection. Levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined by the ELISA. The onset time of the first epileptiform activity, spike-wave frequency (DDS), total DDS, and spike-wave amplitude (DDG) of epileptiform activity were analyzed. It was found that the onset time of the first epileptiform activity in the SA10 and SA20 groups was significantly longer than in the C group. Time-dependent DDS and total DSS in the SA10 and SA20 groups were found to be significantly lower than those in the C group. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of DDG. The levels of SOD, CAT, and GPx in the SA10 and SA20 groups were higher than those in the C and Sham groups, whereas the MDA levels were lower. In conclusion, SA prolongs the onset latency of the first epileptic activity, reduces time-dependent DDS and total DDS, and causes increases in the SOD, CAT, and GPx levels, suggesting that this drug can be used in the treatment of epilepsy, and it may shed light in future studies.