Anti-convulsant Effects of Scutellarein in a PTZ Kindling Model in Mice

Background: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition with various underlying mechanisms. It is known to affect a multitude of people across the globe, regardless of age and gender. Seizures associated with epilepsy involve the participation of stimulatory glutamatergic mechanisms along with inflammation and oxidative damage. Objectives: In this investigation, the anti-epileptic effect of scutellarein, a phytochemical compound isolated from Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.), has been evaluated in the pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) kindling epilepsy model in mice. Materials and Methods: The experimental mice were categorized into six groups with six animals in each. The first control group was given normal saline. The second group was provided only PTZ through an intraperitoneal route to induce seizures. The third and fourth groups received two oral doses of scutellarein (10 and 20 mg/kg) before 30 min of PTZ induction. Diazepam was intraperitoneally administered to the fifth group as a positive control. The impact of scutellarein on the duration and initiation of clonic and tonic convulsion, mortality, kindling, mobility, and immobility duration in PTZ-induced rodents was estimated. Also, the impact of scutellarein on oxidative stress markers and antioxidant and inflammatory marker levels was also evaluated. Results: Scutellarein treatment was able to reduce PTZ-induced seizures in mice. In PTZ animals, scutellarein lowered the seizure severity by suppressing the onset and duration of convulsions. Scutellarein successfully modulated the PTZ-provoked changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, and dopamine levels, as well as Ca2+ ATPase and Na+ K+ ATPase activity. Conclusion: Furthermore, it remarkably reduced the oxidative stress markers and decreased the contents of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in PTZ animal brain tissues, confirming its anti-convulsant potential.