Previous experiments have shown that
ethanol may have either pro-convulsive or anti-convulsive effects on epileptic activity in different experimental
epilepsy models. In this study, the effect of low dose
ethanol and its withdrawal on
penicillin-induced epileptiform activity in rat was investigated. Eight groups of adult, male Wistar rats were studied: (1) control, (2)
penicillin pretreated (500 units), (3)
alpha-tocopherol (500 mg/kg, i.m.), (4)
penicillin pretreated+alpha-
tocopherol, (5)
ethanol-treated (3g/kg, per day, for 15 days, intragastrically)+
penicillin, (6)
ethanol-treated+
penicillin+
alpha-tocopherol, (7)
ethanol withdrawal+penicillin, (8)
ethanol withdrawal+
penicillin+
alpha-tocopherol. Each animal group was composed of seven rats. The epileptiform activity was verified by electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings. The epileptiform activity was induced by microinjection of
penicillin into the left sensorimotor cortex. Administration of
ethanol (3g/kg, per day, for 15 days, intragastrically) did not change either frequency or amplitude of
penicillin-induced epileptiform activity. The frequency and amplitude of epileptiform activity were evaluated 40 h after the last
ethanol administration in withdrawal groups. There was no significant change in the mean frequency and amplitude of epileptiform activity compared with
penicillin pretreated and
ethanol-treated groups. The effective dose of
alpha-tocopherol (500 mg/kg, i.m.) significantly decreased the mean frequency of epileptiform activity in the 60, 70, and 120 min after
alpha-tocopherol injection in
penicillin pretreated,
ethanol-treated,
ethanol withdrawal groups, respectively. However,
alpha-tocopherol did not affect the amplitude of epileptiform activity in all groups. In conclusion, the present results indicate that low dose of
ethanol does not have either anticonvulsive or proconvulsive effect on
penicillin-induced epileptiform activity.
alpha-Tocopherol has anti-convulsive effect on
penicillin-induced epileptiform activity in effective dose.