Anticonvulsive and anti-epileptogenesis effects of Echinacea purpurea root extract, an involvement of CB2 receptor

Masoumeh Gholami; Jamal Amri; Saeed Pazhoohan; Mehdi Sadegh

doi:10.1515/jcim-2020-0219

Article

Anticonvulsive and anti-epileptogenesis effects of Echinacea purpurea root extract, an involvement of CB2 receptor

Masoumeh Gholami , Jamal Amri , Saeed Pazhoohan and Mehdi Sadegh

Published/Copyright: August 31, 2021

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From the journal Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine Volume 19 Issue 4

Abstract

Objectives

Phytocannabinoids beyond the Δ9-tetrahy-drocannabinol have shown anticonvulsive effects. Also, alkylamides from Echinacea purpurea have been proved as cannabinomimetics. We examined the effect of the hydroalcoholic root extract of E. purpurea on pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced tonic–clonic seizures and kindling model of epileptogenesis and the involvement of CB2 receptors as the mediator of this effect.

Methods

Male Wistar rats (200 ± 20 g) were used. Single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of PTZ (80 mg/kg) was used to induce tonic–clonic seizures. The kindling model of epileptogenesis was induced by daily injections of PTZ (37 mg/kg; i.p. for 15 days). Latency and duration of the stages were monitored for analysis. The hydroalcoholic root extract of E. purpurea was injected (i.p.) 20 min before seizure induction at the doses of 10, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg. CB2 receptor antagonist SR144528 was injected (0.1 mg/kg; i.p.) 20 min before the Echinacea injection.

Results

In the tonic–clonic model, pretreatment with E. purpurea at the doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg significantly increased latencies to S2–S6, while it significantly decreased S6 duration and mortality rate. SR144528 injection before the injection of 100 mg/kg of E. purpurea significantly prevented the effects of the extract on S4–S6 latencies. In the kindling model, E. purpurea at the doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg significantly delayed epileptogenesis and decreased mortality rate, while SR144528 injection before the injection of 100 mg/kg of E. purpurea significantly blocked this effect of the extract.

Conclusions

These findings revealed the anticonvulsive and antiepileptogenesis effects of the E. purpurea root extract, which can be mediated by CB2 receptors.

Keywords: cannabinomimetic; kindling; pentylenetetrazol; phytocannabinoid; rat; seizure

Corresponding author: Mehdi Sadegh, PhD, Associate Professor of Physiology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran; and Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, 3848176941, Iran, Phone: +98 8634173502(351), Fax: +98 8634173521, E-mail: m.sadegh@arakmu.ac.ir

Funding source: Arak University of Medical Sciences http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100007113

Award Identifier / Grant number: 3463

Research funding: This study was supported by Arak University of Medical Sciences.
Author contribution: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: There are no conflicts of interests for the authors.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Ethical approval: All the experiments and animal care procedures were performed according to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (8th edition; National Academies Press; 2011) and approved by the Review Board and Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences.

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Received: 2020-06-16

Accepted: 2021-07-29

Published Online: 2021-08-31

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2020-0219

Keywords for this article

cannabinomimetic; kindling; pentylenetetrazol; phytocannabinoid; rat; seizure