Notopterygium incisum Root Extract (NRE) Alleviates Epileptiform Symptoms in PTZ-Induced Acute Seizure Mice

Background: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder affecting more than 70 million people worldwide. Despite numerous efforts on new antiepileptic drugs, approximately one-third of epilepsy patients suffer from uncontrolled seizures. It leads to serious psychosocial consequences, cognitive problems, and decreased quality of life. Objective: Our previous studies have shown that N. incisum root extract (NRE) can improve cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD) mice. In addition, our research shows that AD and epilepsy have pathological mechanisms overlapping. Therefore, we tried to investigate whether NRE can ameliorate the seizures of epileptic mice in this study. Methods: NRE-treated mice group was given an oral administration with 1 g/kg/d for 7 days. On the 8th day, mice were exposed to PTZ (i.p. injection) to induce epilepsy. Then the cognitive tests of mice in the water maze were carried out, and the biochemical indexes and pathological tests were carried out after the mice were sacrificed. Results: SOD level in the NRE group was significantly higher than that in the PTZ group, while MDA, TNF-α, and IL-1β levels were decreased. The cognitive ability of NRE-treated mice was significantly improved compared with the PTZ group. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) results showed that the activation of microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampus and cortex of NRE mice were inhibited. Conclusion: This study suggests that NRE can alleviate epilepsy and improve cognitive function in mice with epilepsy, and its mechanism may be through reducing inflammation and enhancing antioxidant defense.