The effects of agomelatine and melatonin on ECoG activity of absence epilepsy model in WAG/Rij rats

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the melatonergic M1 and M2 receptor agonist and serotonergic 5-HT2C receptor antagonist agomelatine on the spike wave discharges (SWDs) seen in electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings of WAG/Rij rats with absence epilepsy. Twenty-one WAG/Rij male rats were used in this study. Tripolar electrodes were placed on skulls and control ECoG activities were recorded. Experimental groups received normal saline (Group I: 1 mL, intraperitoneally (i.p)), agomelatine (Group II: 40 mg/kg, i.p), and melatonin (Group III: 40 mg/kg, i.p) injections for 7 days. Following this period, 2-h ECoG recordings were repeated. The number of SWDs and their durations were calculated. The total number and duration of SWDs decreased in both the agomelatine and melatonin groups. The systemic administration of agomelatine and melatonin attenuated the genetic absence epilepsy seizures in WAG/Rij rats. The repressive effect of agomelatine on the absence seizures was similar to that of the melatonin used in this study.