Dose-dependent anticonvulsive effect of ethanol on lindane-induced seizures in ratsThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the special issue Bridging the Gap: Where Progress in Cardiovascular and Neurophysiologic Research Meet.

Abstract

Chronic ethanol consumption is a major risk factor for epilepsy, and seizures frequently occur during the withdrawal period. The aim of our study was to investigate effects of ethanol on lindane-induced seizures in rats. Male Wistar rats were injected i.p. with one of the following 5 treatments: (i) saline, (ii) dimethylsulfoxide, (iii) lindane (8 mg/kg) (L), (iv) ethanol in doses of 0.5 g/kg (E0.5), 1 g/kg (E1), and 2 g/kg (E2), and (v) groups that received ethanol 30 min before lindane (LE0.5, LE1, and LE2). Behavioral changes were described by using a descriptive scale as follows: 0, no response; 1, head nodding, lower jaw twitching; 2, myoclonic body jerks, bilateral forelimb clonus; 3, generalized tonic–clonic convulsions; 4, status epilepticus. The incidence of convulsions in the LE2 group was significantly lower than the incidence in the L (p < 0.01) and LE0.5 groups (p < 0.05). The median grade of convulsive behavior was significantly lower in the LE2 (p < 0.01) and LE1 groups (p < 0.05) compared with the L group. Latencies to the first seizure response were not significantly different among groups. ED50 of ethanol was 1.40 (1.19–1.65). Our findings suggest that ethanol decreased severity and incidence of lindane-induced seizures in a dose-dependent manner.