Antiepileptic Property of Tetraponera aethiops Venom in Pilocarpine-picrotoxin Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Aims: The present is undertaken to evaluate the antiepileptic properties of Tetraponera aethiops venom in mice pilocarpine-picrotoxin model of temporal lobe epilepsy and to investigate the mechanisms of action.

Methodology: A total of seven groups of six mice were prepared. One hour before the induction of status epilepticus through intraperitoneal injection of pilocarpine (360 mg/kg), all groups with the exception of group one and two received the different doses (0.1, 0.25, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg) of the Tetraponera aethiops venom while group one and two received distilled water. Twenty-four hours later the anticonvulsant effects of the crude venom were evaluated after the intraperitoneal injection of a sub-convulsive dose of picrotoxin. The animals received their various treatments for seven days. One hour after the last treatment on day seventh day, they were sacrificed and brain of each mouse was dissected and hippocampi isolated. The levels of malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, gamma aminobutyric acid and the activity of gamma aminobutyric acid transaminase were determined in the homogenates of hippocampus. Results: Tetraponera aethiops venom showed a significant increase in the latency time of tonic-clonic seizures (P<0.001) in mice, as well as a reduction in the number (P<0.001) and duration (P<0.001) of seizures. A significant effect was seen as the crude venom could reverse the alteration of the oxidative stress makers and GABAergic neurotransmission. Conclusion: Findings from this study showed that Tetraponera aethiops venom ameliorated pilocarpine-picrotoxin-induced temporal lobe epilepsy through enhancement of antioxidant defence mechanism and amelioration of GABAergic transmission.