Effects of Polydatin on Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Seizures in Zebrafish Larvae

Background/Objectives: Epilepsy is a common neurological condition characterized by the occurrence of a seizure. It affects around 50 million individuals worldwide, and despite the large quantity of anti-seizure medications available, 30% of epileptic patients still suffer from seizures. Therefore, it is necessary to find new therapeutic options. Interestingly, polydatin has shown promising effects on epilepsy treatment due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of polydatin (200, 300, and 400 µM) on a pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure model in wild-type zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae. Methods: Seizure-like behavior, cell death, reactive species (RS) production, and lipid peroxidation were analyzed. Results: Pre-treatment with polydatin at 200 and 300 µM did not have a significant impact on seizure occurrence and the behavior of animals exposed to PTZ. Diazepam decreased seizure occurrence and increased the latency to achieve each seizure stage. Exposure to PTZ increased the swimming activity, and this effect was suppressed by diazepam but not by polydatin. PTZ exposure increased the RS production, which was significantly attenuated by polydatin at 400 µM and DMSO. Cell death and lipid peroxidation were not changed when compared to the experimental groups. Conclusions: Only the experimental positive control (diazepam) showed anti-seizure effects. Therefore, we failed to observe any anti-seizure effects of polydatin using a zebrafish experimental model. However, we cannot rule out its effects in other experimental models and different treatment protocols.