Objectives:

Paracetamol is a widely used analgesic and antipyretic agent. It has been reported that N-arachidonoyl-phenolamine, the active metabolite of paracetamol, reduces epilepsy by activating the endocannabinoid system in some models of experimental epilepsy. Diazepam is a benzodiazepine well known to have anticonvulsant effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of different doses of paracetamol on penicillin-induced epileptiform activity (PIEA) in rats.

Methods:

Rats anesthetized with urethane (1.25 g/kg, intraperitoneal) were placed in a stereotaxic frame. Body temperatures were maintained at 37°C by a heating blanket. An epileptic focus was produced by 500 IU Penicillin G (PGP) injection into the soma-motor cortex using a hole drilled into the cranium. Paracetamol (100, 150 and 300 mg/kg, respectively) and diazepam (5 mg/kg) were administered thirty minutes after PGP injection, and their effects on the epileptiform activity were examined comparatively. Electrocorticographic activity was monitored for two hours.

Results:

Intracortical injection of PGP (500 units) induced epileptiform activity in all groups of rats. Diazepam caused a statistical significant decrease in the epileptiform activity in the 40th minute after PGP injection. Paracetamol (100 mg/kg) application did not influence the PIEA (p>0.05). However, 150 and 300 mg/kg IV paracetamol had a statistically significant effect on the antiepileptic activity (p<0.001).a

Conclusion:

The results of the present study indicated that 150 and 300 mg/kg doses of paracetamol had an effect on PIEA. Further studies are needed to understand the reasons for this effect.

Keywords: Acetaminophen, diazepam, epilepsy, paracetamol, penicillin