The Anticonvulsant Effect of Nonsteroidal Anti‐Inflammatory Drug, Fenoprofen, in Pentylenetetrazole‐Induced Epileptic Rats: Behavioral, Histological, and Biochemical Evidence

This study aimed to evaluate the anticonvulsant properties of fenoprofen on the experimental model of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced epilepsy. Male Wistar rats were randomly grouped into five, and the kindling model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of PTZ 35 (mg/kg) every other day for 1 month. Aside from the control and PTZ groups, three groups received intraperitoneal injections of fenoprofen at doses of 10, 20, and 40 (mg/kg) before each PTZ injection. Rats were challenged with PTZ 70 (mg/kg) 1 week after kindling development. Then rats were subjected to deep anesthesia, and serum and brain samples were prepared. Oxidative stress (OS) markers (malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase) were measured in serum samples. Hippocampal tissue was used to investigate the relative expression of OS-related genes (nuclear factor [erythroid-derived 2]-like 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1)) and histological studies. Seizure behavior was assessed based on Lüttjohann's score. In treated groups, the number of myoclonic jerks and generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCS) duration decreased significantly, while myoclonic jerks and GTCS latency increased compared with the PTZ group. The biochemical evaluation revealed the antioxidative effects of fenoprofen. The decreased expression of Nrf2/HO-1 genes in the PTZ group was reversed after fenoprofen administration. The results of the histological study obtained from Nissl staining in the hippocampal tissue also confirmed the protective effect of fenoprofen. The anticonvulsant effects of fenoprofen seem to be through inhibition of OS-related markers, induction of protective effect in hippocampal tissue, and activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.