title: Anticonvulsant and neuroprotective effects of Rosa damascena hydro-alcoholic extract on rat hippocampus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previously, analgesic, hypnotic, and anticonvulsant effects have been suggested for Rosa damascena (R. damascena). In the present study, possible anti-seizure and neuro-protective effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of R. damascena has been investigated after inducing seizures in rats by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ).
  
  
  METHODS
  The rats were divided to five groups: (1) CONTROL: received saline, (2) PTZ: 100 mg/kg, i.p., (3) PTZ- Extract 50 mg/kg (PTZ-Ext 50), (4) PTZ- Extract 100 mg/kg (PTZ-Ext 100), and (5) PTZ- Extract 200 mg/kg (PTZ-Ext 200) groups which were treated with 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg respectively of hydro-alcoholic extract of R. dam ascena for one week before PTZ injection. The animals were examined for electrocorticography (ECoG) recording and finally, the brains were removed for histological study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hydro-alcoholic extract of R. dam ascena significantly prolonged the latency of seizure attacks and reduced the frequency and amplitude of epileptiform burst discharges induced by PTZ injection. Moreover, all three doses of the extract significantly inhibited production of dark neurons in different regions of the hippocampus in the mentioned animal model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed that the hydro-alcoholic extract of R. dam ascena has anticonvulsant and neuroprotective effects. More investigations are needed to be done in order to better understand the responsible compound(s) as well as the possible mechanism(s).
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mansour
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Homayoun
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seghatoleslam
authors.affiliation: Neurogenic Inflammation Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mojtaba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pourzaki
authors.affiliation: Pharmacological Research Center of Medicinal Plants, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Reihaneh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shafieian
authors.affiliation: Neurocognitive Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ebrahimzadeh Bideskan
keywords: Dark neurons; Electrocorticography (ECoG); Hippocampus; Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ); Rosa damascene