Activities of alpha-asarone in various animal seizure models and in biochemical assays might be essentially accounted for by antioxidant properties

作者：Pages Nicole; Maurois Pierre; Delplanque Bernadette; Bac Pierre; Stables James P; Tamariz Joaquin; Chamorro German; Vamecq Joseph^*

来源：Neuroscience Research, 2010, 68(4): 337-344.

DOI：10.1016/j.neures.2010.08.011

• alpha-Asarone
• Seizure
• Audiogenic test
• Electroshock
• Pentylenetetrazole
• Picrotoxin
• N-methyl-D-aspartate
• Pilocarpine
• Neuroprotection
• Antioxidant
• Magnesium deficiency
• Epilepsy

Anticonvulsant properties of alpha-asarone were studied in mice at three doses with different toxicity. The 100 mg/kg dose decreased both treadmill performance and locomotor activity, caused hypothermia, and potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep. The last two effects and no toxicity were observed at 60 and 22 mg/kg, respectively. In chemical (pentylenetetrazole, picrotoxin, N-methyl-D-aspartate, pilocarpine) and electrical (maximal electroshock) seizure tests, neither seizures not death were prevented by 60 mg/kg alpha-asarone which, however, exhibited protective-like effects (delay in the onset of clonic and/or tonic seizures and/or in the death of mice). Magnesium deficiency-dependent audiogenic seizures responded to non-toxic doses of alpha-asarone (60 mg/kg and less): 22 mg/kg protecting 50% of tested animals. Because these seizures respond to both anti-seizure and antioxidant compounds, antioxidant properties of alpha-asarone were studied, indicating 5 Units of superoxide dismutase-like activity per mg alpha-asarone. Treatment of mice by alpha-asarone (daily dose of 100 mg/kg during 7 days) induced brain antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and reductase) in striatum and hippocampus and to a lesser extent in cortex. In view of recent findings about deleterious roles of chronic inflammatory/oxidant stresses in human epilepsy outcome, antioxidant and inductive properties of alpha-asarone are proposed to be coherent bases for traditional clinical efficacy.

• 出版日期2010-12