Abstract
BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a condition characterized by frequent bursts of neuro-electrical impulse activity in the brain, involving the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1). Zingerone (ZO) is known to possess a multitude of regulatory mechanisms for TRP channels. However, clear evidence of ZO in the regulation of TRPV1 expression has not yet been reported. OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic role of ZO against pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced kindled seizures (KS) in mice. METHODS: The KS were induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of three doses of PTZ (35 mg/kg/day) in mice on every alternate day (day 1, 3, and 5). Additionally, the PTZ challenge test was performed on day 20. The ZO doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg; TRPV1 antagonist, i.e., selective TRPV1 antagonist (SB-366791, 10 mg/kg); and a combination of ZO and SB-366791 were administered orally (p.o.). The seizure score was assessed using Racine's scoring system on day 20. Changes in KS-associated spatial cognition were assessed by the water Y-maze and water T-maze tests. The hippocampal tissue biomarkers, i.e., thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), reduced glutathione (GSH), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and TRPV1 expression were estimated. RESULTS: The ZO attenuates the PTZ-induced changes in Racine's scores and spatial cognition effects in Y-maze and water T-maze tests. Furthermore, ZO also ameliorates the PTZ-induced biomarker changes. CONCLUSIONS: Hence, ZO possesses therapeutic potential against KS conditions in mice via regulation of TRPV1 channel functions. However, more extensive studies are required to prove this therapeutic potency in different seizure conditions across various animal species.