title: Effects of soy extract on pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures in ovariectomized rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of soy extract on pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=15 in each group) as follows: sham-operated, OVX, low-dose soy (LDS) and high-dose soy (HDS). The rats in each group were divided into two subgroups and received daily injection of a low dose of PTZ (40 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally, n=7 in each subgroup) for 14 d or a single injection of a high dose of PTZ (90 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally, n=8 in each subgroup). The rats of LDS and HDS groups were injected with 20 and 60 mg/kg body weight of soy extract intraperitoneally, respectively, just 30 min before each PTZ injection. The rats of the sham-operated and the OVX groups received saline instead of soy extract. After treatment, the rats were placed in a plexiglas cage and their behaviors were observed for 60 min.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of repeated injection of low dose of PTZ during 14 d showed that the seizure score of the rats of OVX group on days 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, and 13 was lower than that of the sham-operated group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). However, the rats of both LDS and HDS groups had higher score compared with the OVX group on the mentioned days (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The results of a single injection of a high dose of PTZ showed a significant increase (P<0.01) in the generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCS), but not the minimal clonic seizure (MCS) in the OVX rats compared with the sham-operated rats. Treatment with both low and high doses of soy extract significantly decreased the GTCS and MCS latencies compared with the OVX group (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female hormones affect seizure severity induced by PTZ, and phytoestrogens of soy mimic this effects. However, more investigations need to be done in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ebrahimzadeh Bideskan
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.forename: Toktam
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mohammadpour
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karami
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khodamoradi
authors.forename: Habibollah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nemati Karimooy
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alavi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole