ABSTRACT
To characterize the convulsions induced by a hexanic extract of Spilanthes acmella var. oleracea, male Wistar rats were injected ip with 50 to 150 mg/kg of the extract and EEG and hehavior were observed for periods as long as 2 h. Following the lower doses (50 and 75 mg/kg) only minor behavioral changes such as grooming and wet dog shakes were observed. Higher doses (100 to 150 mg/kg) induced full tonic-clonic convulsions in a dose-dependent manner which were accompanied by typical electrographic seizures in the EEG. These results confirm that the hexane extract of Spilanthes acmella var. oleracea is able to induce generalized convulsions in rats and can be used as a tool in the development of new models of epilepsy
Subject(s)
Rats , Animals , Male , Behavior, Animal/drug effects , Seizures/chemically induced , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Electroencephalography , Rats, Inbred StrainsABSTRACT
A utilidade de um modelo experimental se faz valer pela capacidade deste em representar com fidelidade o fenômeno natural. Embora sejam inúmeros os novos modelos experimentais de epilepsia que säo constantemente apresentados, poucos deles oferecem novas informaçöes para o entendimento deste tipo de distúrbio do sistema nervoso central. Nesta revisäo, procura-se apresentar uma idéia sucinta dos modelos que vêm proporcionando maiores conhecimentos sobre o fenômeno epiléptico. Ressalta-se ainda, especial atençäo para o modelo do abrasamento (kindling) e aos modelos que se utilizam de excitotoxinas os quais têm se destacado mais recentemente