The effect of trans- Cinnamic acid on prenatal seizures induced cognitive deficits

Prenatal seizures cause serious damage in fetal nervous system leading to cognitive and behavioral deficits in newborns. This study examined the effect of trans-Cinnamic acid on cognitive impairment and hippocampal cell damage in rat model of Penthylentetrazole (PTZ)- induced prenatal seizure.

30 Pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided in 5 groups: control, PTZ+NS, PTZ+SIN25, PTZ+SIN50 and PTZ+SIN100. Rats were treated by repeated injections of PTZ (40 mg/kg; i.p) on embryonic day (ED) 13 for 7 consecutive days. 2 hours before PTZ injection, pregnant rats were gavaged with normal saline (PTZ+NS) or Cinnamic acid (PTZ+SIN groups with 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg doses). The working memory, avoidance learning and anxiety like behaviors were evaluated in one month old male offspring. Then, brains were histopathologically analyzed for hippocampal cell damages.

In comparison to controls, PTZ+NS group showed a significant decrease in alteration behavior (working memory), latency time to the dark room (avoidance memory) and increase level of anxiety with decrease of cell density in different areas of hippocampus (p˂ 0.05(. However, Cinnamic acid- treated groups showed a significant increase of working, avoidance memories and hippocampal cell density in comparison with PTZ+NS groups (p˂ 0.05(. 

The Cinnamic acid with reduction of hippocampal cell damage was ameliorating cognitive deficits in rat model of prenatal seizures.