title: 3,4,5-Trimethoxycinnamic acid, one of the constituents of Polygalae Radix exerts anti-seizure effects by modulating GABAAergic systems in mice.
abstract: Polygalae Radix is an important medicinal plant that is widely used in most of Africa. 3,4,5-Trimethoxycinnamic acid (TMCA) is one of the constituents of Polygalae Radix. Until now, the mechanisms involved in the anti-seizure property of TMCA are still unclear. We examined the anti-seizure effect of TMCA. TMCA administered at doses of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg and evaluated anti-seizure effects by maximal electroshock (MES) and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) models in mice. TMCA administered at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg significantly reduced the incidence of MES-induced tonic hindlimb extension (THE). TMCA significantly delayed the onset of myoclonic jerks (MJ), and decreased the seizure severity and mortality compared with the vehicle-treated animals in PTZ seizure model. TMCA 10 and 20 mg/kg treated groups also did not determined generalized clonic seizures (GCS). Pretreatment with a GABAA/benzodiazepine (BZ) receptor antagonist flumazenil blocked the anti-seizure effects of TMCA. These data support the further investigation of TMCA as a GABAA/BZ receptor agonist for anti-seizure therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, First Hospital, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730043, Gansu, PR China.
authors.forename: Chang-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, PR China.
authors.forename: Xu-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China. Electronic address: changruichen@fudan.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chang-Rui
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002934:Cinnamates / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004597:Electroshock; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000494:pharmacology; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D018517:Plant Roots; D031801:Polygala; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D012640:Seizures / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002934:Cinnamates; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005442:Flumazenil; C031619:3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole
keywords: Flumazenil; GABA receptor; Pentylenetetrazol; Seizure; TMCA