The effect of usnic acid on the penicillin induced epileptiform activity on rats

Nearly 50 million people who have active epilepsy with refractory seizures and need therapy, at the present time. 30 % of these patients are resistant to all anti-epileptic medications discovered up to now. In addition, the side effect profile of these drugs is very wide. Lichens which are formed from photosynthetic algea and mushroom symbiosis are used food, medicine, cosmetic industry. Usnic acid isolated from lichens was studied on hepatocytes and shown that it causes cellular changes on hepatocytes. Purpose of this study is investigating the effects of usnic acid using on experimental penicillin-induced epilepsy model in rats electrocorticographically. In this study 70 Wistar male rats were used. Rats were divided into 10 different groups which are included shame, control (penicillin), diazepam, only usnic acid, before seızures 50, 100, 200 mg/kg usnic acid and after penicillin 50, 100, 200 mg/kg usnic acid applied groups. Rats were anesthetized with the intraperiatonally injection of the 1.25 g/kg dose of urethane and left cortex of the skull was removed also electrodes were placed on the somatomotor area. Before pennicilin groups after the taking 5 minutes basal activity, usnic acid which dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) were injectied intraperiotally. At 30 minutes of after this application, penicillin was applied intracortically and through 120 minutes ECoG recording was taken. After pennicillin groups rats will be anesthetized with the intraperiatonally injection of the 1.25 g/kg dose of urethane and left cortex of the skull was removed also electrodes was placed on the somatomotor area. After the taking 5 minutes basal activity, penicillin was applied intracortically. At 30 minutes of after this application, usnic acid was applied intraperitoneally and through 120 minutes ECoG recording was taken. Data taken from electrocorticographic recordings were analised by the software. At the same time, the first spike latency, spike wave frequency, and spike wave amplitude of epileptiform activity were analyzed statistically. Finally, it was found that usnic acid has no effect on epileptiform activity, latency, spike wave frequency and spike wave amplitude of epileptiform activity.