Influence of Aspirin on Pilocarpine-Induced Epilepsy in Mice

ABSTRACT

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is one of the most widely used therapeutic agents based on its pharmacological actions, including anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-pyretic, and anti-thrombotic effects. In this study, we investigated the effects of aspirin on seizure susceptibility and hippocampal neuropathology following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). SE was induced by pilocarpine hydrochloride (280 mg/kg, i.p.) administration in C57BL/6 mice (aged 8 weeks). Aspirin was administered daily (15 mg/kg or 150 mg/kg, i.p.) for 10 days starting 3 days before SE, continuing until 6 days after SE. After pilocarpine injection, SE onset time and mortality were recorded. Neuronal cell death was examined using cresyl violet and Fluoro-Jade staining, and glial responses were observed 7 days post SE using immunohistochemistry. In the aspirin-treated group, the onset time of SE was significantly shortened and mortality was markedly increased compared to the control group. However, in this study, aspirin treatment did not affect SE-induced neuronal cell death or astroglial and microglial responses in the hippocampus. In conclusion, these results suggest that the safety of aspirin should be reevaluated in some patients, especially with neurological disorders such as temporal lobe epilepsy.