The Combined Effect of Aerobic Exercise and α-Pinene on Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizure in Male Rats

Seizure is due to the abnormal electric activity of neurons in the brain. Because of the side effects of synthetic drugs, plant medicines can be used instead to control seizures. 

This study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise and α-pinene on pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in mature male rats.

A total of 40 Wistar male rats (weight: 200-250 g) were divided into five groups: control (receiving normal saline), positive control (receiving 1 mg/kg diazepam as an antiepileptic drug), aerobic exercise (receiving five sessions of exercise per week, each session for 30 min), α-pinene (receiving 200 mg/kg for 4 weeks), and aerobic exercise plus α-pinene. Thirty minutes after the intervention, 85 mg/kg Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) was intraperitoneally administered to the rats in all experimental groups, and their seizure-related behaviors were observed and recorded.

Combined use of α-pinene and aerobic exercise significantly increased the delay of onset of seizure (P<0.05) and decreased the duration of the tonic-clonic seizure (P<0.001) and the total duration of seizure P<0.001) compared to the control group.

The findings showed that the use of α-pinene together with exercise can have preventive effects against pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in mature male rats through their antioxidant activity.