
Abstract
Minocycline, widely used as an antibiotic, has recently been found to have an
anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and anticonvulsant effects. This study was
aimed to investigate the anticonvulsant effect of acute administration of
minocycline on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures considering the
possible involvement of 5-HT3 receptor in this effect. For this
purpose, seizures were induced by intravenous PTZ infusion. All drugs were
administrated by intraperitoneal (i.p.) route before PTZ injection. Also,
1-(m-chlorophenyl)-biguanide (mCPBG, a 5-HT3 receptor agonist) and
Tropisetron (a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist) were used
45 minutes before minocycline treatment. Our results demonstrate that
acute minocycline treatment (80 and 120 mg/kg) increased the
seizure threshold. In addition, the 5-HT3 antagonist, tropisetron, at
doses that had no effect on seizure threshold, augmented the anticonvulsant
effect of minocycline (40 mg/kg), while mCPBG
(0.2 mg/kg) blunted the anticonvulsant effect of minocycline
(80 mg/kg). In conclusion, our findings revealed that the
anticonvulsant effect of minocycline is mediated, at least in part, by
inhibition of 5-HT3 receptor.
Key words
Minocycline - 5-HT
3 receptor; Seizure Threshold - Pentylenetetrazole - Mice