Effect of Phenylbutazone on Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizure in Mice

Problem statement: The Cyclooxygenases (COXs), the key enzymes that convert arachidonic acid to Prostaglandins (PGs), had been implicated in physiological and pathophysiological functions in the CNS. Non-Stesoidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), COX inhibitors, were used largely to treat febrile condition, pain state and for prevention of and therapeutics of many diseases. However the role of PGs and NSAIDs in the seizure activity has been disputed. The aim of this study was to evaluation the effect of intraperitoneally injection of different doses of Phenylbutazone on PTZ-induced seizure threshold in mice. Approach: Mice were divided into 9 groups randomly: The first group received saline normal (ip) (control group); the second group received Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (CMC) 0.5% (ip) (vehicle group) and the next groups received respectively different doses of Phenylbutazone (5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 mg kg^-1 ip) 45 min before determination of seizure threshold induced by PTZ. Results: Results showed that PTZ-induced seizure threshold in control mice was 34.75±1.54 mg kg^-1. Intraperitoneal injection of Phenylbutazone showed significant (p<0.05) increase of PTZ-induced seizure threshold in a dose dependently manner compared with control group. Conclusion: Phenylbutazone has anticonvulsant effects on mice. Nevertheless, new studies must be carried out in order to determine the beneficial effects of NSAIDs in treatment of epilepsy.