Evaluation of ivermectin and vitamin E based combination with antiseizure rufinamide drug for mitigation of pentylenetetrazole-induced kindling, behavioral challenges and histopathological aberrations

J Physiol Pharmacol. 2024 Jun;75(3). doi: 10.26402/jpp.2024.3.01. Epub 2024 Jul 18.

Abstract

Pentylenetetrazole- (PTZ)-induced kindling is a broadly used experimental model to evaluate the impact of antiseizure drugs and their novel combination on seizure progression. The current study aimed to evaluate the anti-kindling effects of ivermectin (IVM) and rufinamide (RUFI) alone and their combination with vitamin E. The mice were administered 11 injections of PTZ (40 mg/kg) followed by assessment for anxiety-like behavior and cognitive abilities in a series of behavior tests with subsequent brain isolation for biochemical and histopathological evaluation. The outcomes showed a marked protection by IVM + RUFI (P<0.001) from kindling progression, anxiety-like behavior and cognitive deficit. However, additional supplementation with vitamin E worked superior to duo therapy as these mice were noted to be most fearless to visiting open, illuminated and elevated zones of open field, light/dark and elevated-plus maze (P<0.0001). Further, they showed marked remembrance of the familiar milieu in y-maze (P<0.01) and novel objection recognition (P<0.05) tests. Additionally, their recollection of aversive stimuli in passive avoidance and spatial memory in Morris water maze were evident (P<0.0001), in comparison to kindled mice. The IVM + RUFI duo therapy and its co-administration with vitamin E prevented kindling-triggered oxidative stress in brains and neuronal damage in hippocampus. We conclude that the benefits of the co-administration of vitamin E might be the results of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of vitamin E which might be potentiating the antiseizure effects of RUFI and GABA-A modulating potential by ivermectin.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anticonvulsants* / administration & dosage
  • Anticonvulsants* / pharmacology
  • Anxiety / drug therapy
  • Behavior, Animal* / drug effects
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Ivermectin* / administration & dosage
  • Ivermectin* / pharmacology
  • Kindling, Neurologic* / drug effects
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Mice
  • Pentylenetetrazole*
  • Seizures* / drug therapy
  • Triazoles* / administration & dosage
  • Triazoles* / pharmacology
  • Vitamin E* / administration & dosage
  • Vitamin E* / pharmacology

Substances

  • Vitamin E
  • Ivermectin
  • Pentylenetetrazole
  • Anticonvulsants
  • rufinamide
  • Triazoles