Effect of Rosemary Extract against the Toxicity of Kainic Acid in Rats

Chronic neurodegenerative process of epilepsy occurs in the brain. Antioxidants may reduce the neurodegenerative process. In the present study، the male Wistar rats weighing 200-250 gr. (n= 34) were randomly divided into five groups: 1- control group A contains 5 intact animals، 2- control group B contains 5 rats which received the solvents of rosemary extracts (RE) and Kainic Acid (KA) 3- RE group contains 10 animals received daily،100 mg/kg RE dissolved in distilled water and administered by gavage 4- lesion group contains 7 rats received intraperitoneally a single dose of 9. 5 mg/kg of KA and treatment group contains 7 animals received KA and RE. The seizure signs of the rats were observed and recorded for 2-3 h after injection of KA and compared them between lesion and treatment groups. Caspase 3 immunohistochemistry was used for detection of apoptosis in hippocampus. The results of this study showed that the administration of RE in rats with epilepsy caused by KA may reduce significantly (p<0. 01) the seizures behaviors scores (4/29± 0/47 in lesion group and 2/14± 0/34 in treatment group). The occurrence of apoptosis was observed in the CA1 region of hippocampus by using caspase 3 staining. This study showed that the RE could have antiepileptic and neuroprotective effects against the toxicity induced by KA.