title: Estrogen-dependent effect of soy extract on pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the different effects of soy extract on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures in the presence and absence of ovarian hormones in rats, and the gender-dependent differences in the effects of phytoestrogens on behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male and female Wistar rats were randomly divided into nine groups with eight in each, namely, male-saline (M-saline), male-low-dose soy (M-LDS), male-high-dose soy (M-HDS), sham-saline (Sh-saline), sham-low-dose soy (Sh-LDS), sham-high-dose soy (Sh-HDS), ovariectomized-saline (OVX-saline), ovariectomized-low-dose soy (OVX-LDS) and ovariectomized-high-dose soy (OVX-HDS). The rats of groups 7 to 9 were ovariectomized under ketamine anesthesia. The rats of groups 2, 5 and 8 were treated by 20 mg/kg of soy extract while the animals of groups 3, 6 and 9 received 60 mg/kg of soy extract for two weeks. In groups 1, 4 and 7, saline was injected instead of soy extract. The animals were then injected by a single dose of PTZ (90 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally) and placed in a plexiglas cage and the latency to minimal clonic seizure (MCS) and generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCS) was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both MCS and GTCS latency in M-LDS and M-HDS groups was significantly lower than that in M-saline group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Treatment for female sham rats by soy extract did not affect MCS and GTCS latency. The animals of OVX-LDS and OVX-HDS groups had lower MCS and GTCS latency in comparison with OVX-saline group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is concluded that the phytoestrogens of soy affect seizure severity induced by PTZ, but their effects are different in the presence or absence of ovarian hormones. However, further studies are necessary to be done.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Toktam
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mohammadpour
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karami
authors.forename: Hamid Reza
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Sadeghnia
authors.forename: Ali Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ebrahimzadeh Bideskan
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Enayatfard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000009:adverse effects; D048789:Phytoestrogens / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole