Anticonvulsant Effects of Fuzi Total Alkaloid on Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizure in Mice

We investigated the anticonvulsant effect of acute Fuzi total alkaloid (FTA) in seizure induced by the GABA(A)-receptor antagonist pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). FTA significantly increased the seizure latency and decreased the mortality in PTZ-treated mice. Administration of PTZ increased c-Fos expression in the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and piriform cortex; and this PTZ-induced effect was inhibited by FTA in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the effects of FTA on PTZ-induced seizure and c-Fos expression were reversed by the GABA(A)/benzodiazepine receptor-selective antagonist flumazenil. These findings suggest that the anticonvulsant effects of FTA may be related to modulation of GABA(A)-benzodiazepine receptor complex.