Antiabsence effects of safranal in acute experimental seizure models: EEG and autoradiography.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

We examined the effect of safranal, a constituent of Crocus sativus, in acute experimental animal models of generalized absence seizures.

METHODS:

the effect of acute systemic administration of safranal on latency to seizure onset as well as spike and wave discharches (SWD) duration following pharmacologically-induced absence seizures was investigated in wildtype mice. We further characterized its effects on the GABAergic system through the regional modification of [3H] flunitrazepam, a benzodiazepine agonist binding site and [3H] CGP54626A, a GABAB receptor antagonist binding site in mouse brain.

RESULTS:

The systemic administration of safranal resulted in a significant and dose-dependent attenuation in experimental absence seizures elicited by either gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), baclofen (BAC) or low doses of GABAA receptor antagonists; pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), picrotoxin (PTX) and bicuculline (BMC). After a single intraperitoneal administration of safranal (291 mg/kg), no changes in baseline electrocorticographic (ECoG) recording were observed, however, a significant decrease in [3H] flunitrazepam binding was seen in the cortex (33.16%, p<0.001), hippocampus (27.36%, p<0.01) and thalamus (29.91%, p<0.01) of mouse brain, while the [3H] CGP54626A binding did not show any modification in the same brain regions.

CONCLUSION:

These data indicate that there is an antiabsence seizure property in safranal and its effect may be due to modifications on the benzodiazepine binding sites of the GABAA receptor complex.

• Authors: Hamid R Sadeghnia, Miguel A Cortez, Dick Liu, Hossein Hosseinzadeh, O Carter Snead 3rd
• Journal: Journal of pharmacy & pharmaceutical sciences : a publication of the Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Societe canadienne des sciences pharmaceutiques (J Pharm Pharm Sci) Vol. 11 Issue 3 Pg. 1-14 ( 2008) ISSN: 1482-1826 [Electronic] Canada
• PMID: 18801302 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Cyclohexenes
• Receptors, GABA-A
• Terpenes
• safranal

Topics

• Animals
• Autoradiography (methods)
• Binding Sites
• Brain (drug effects, metabolism)
• Crocus (chemistry)
• Cyclohexenes (administration & dosage, isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Electroencephalography (methods)
• Epilepsy, Absence (drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Injections, Intraperitoneal
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Receptors, GABA-A (metabolism)
• Terpenes (administration & dosage, isolation & purification, pharmacology)