Increasing the Effectiveness of Carbamazepine by Low Frequency Electrical Stimulation During CA1 Hippocampal Kindling on Seizure Scales in Adult Male Rats: An Experimental Study

Background and Objectives:

 Nowadays, the application of Low Frequency Stimulations (LFS) has been considered as an alternative treatment in drug-resistant epileptic patients. So, the aim of this study was to determine the co-administration effects of LFS and carbamazepine (CBZ) during epileptogenesis in dorsal hippocampus using electrical Kindling method on seizure scales in adult male rats.

In this experimental study, 56 adult male wistar rats were randomly divided into 8 equal groups including: Kindled (KND), KLFS, MCK, CBZ20K, CBZ40K, CBZ20KLFS, CBZ40KLFS, and MCKLFS. Animals in the Kindled group received daily stimulation of kindling. In the KLFS group, LFS were applied daily after the termination of kindling stimulation. In the MCK group, before induction of kindling stimulation, the amount of 0.2 ml of %0.5 methyl cellulose was injected, and CBZ20K and CBZ40K groups received CBZ20 and 40mg / kg. In the CBZ20KLFS, CBZ40KLFS, and MCKLFS groups in addition to receiving drug or solvent, LFS was applied at the end of kindling stimulation. Animal behavioral seizure scales (seizure severity, afterdischarge duration and seizure duration) were recorded. Finally, data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test.

The results showed that the combination therapy of LFS and the effective and ineffective amounts of CBZ significantly reduced the seizure scales in CBZ20KLFS and CBZ40KLFS groups compared with the other experimental groups (p=0.035).

It seems that combination therapy of CBZ and LFS is an appropriate method to reduce seizure scales during kindling in rats.