α-Lipoic acid alleviates pentetrazol-induced neurological deficits and behavioral dysfunction in rats with seizures via an Nrf2 pathway

Epilepsy (EP) is a type of chronic brain disease characterized by transient central nervous system malfunction which is the result of neuron paradoxical discharge in the brain. In a recent study, we evaluated the neuroprotective effect of a-lipoic acid on pentetrazol-induced rats. Epileptic rats were induced by intraperitoneal injection of pentetrazol (35 mg kg(-1)), and were intragastrically administered with alpha-lipoic acid for a month. The treatment with alpha-lipoic acid significantly reduced the total frequency of epileptic seizures and improved the behavior impairment and cognitive disorder caused by pentetrazol toxicity. With the administration of alpha-lipoic acid, not only did the apoptosis rate of nerve cells decrease, but also the formation of nitric oxide and malondialdehyde was inhibited. We also recorded evidence suggesting the treatment of alpha-lipoic acid could enhance the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, in the hippocampus area of the brain, alpha-lipoic acid treatment promoted the translocation of Nrf2 in the nuclear fraction and increased the expression of HO-1 and NQO1. Our data indicated that alpha-lipoic acid may be a potential candidate for lessening the number of epileptic attacks, improving the behavior and cognitive disorder and cutting down the apoptosis rate of nerve cells in a pentetrazol-induced rat model through activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway.