Rufi Tambe, Pankaj Jain, Sachin Patil, Priya Ghumatkar and Sadhana Sathaye
The present study was aimed at investigating the effects of Diosgenin, a plant derived steroidal sapogenin on the development and acquisition of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) kindling along with altered biochemical parameters. Diosgenin (5 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) was evaluated on the course of kindling development and its ability to suppress the PTZ induced oxidative damage in the brain tissue when given as a pretreatment prior to each PTZ injection. Various oxidative stress parameters such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) and lipid peroxidation (MDA) were assessed at the end of the study. Neuronal damage was studied by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining technique. The neuroinflammatory marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was also evaluated at the end of the study using immunohistochemistry. Diosgenin significantly prevented the process of epileptogenesis in PTZ induced kindling model as exhibited by lower seizure score. The biochemical alterations induced by PTZ were ameliorated in diosgenin treated animals which was indicated by decreased MDA and increased SOD, GSH, CAT levels. Diosgenin treatment protected the neurons from seizure induced damage. It also alleviated the levels of GFAP which was manifested by reduced immunostaining. The above results are suggestive of the neuroprotective potential of Diosgenin which can be correlated with its ability to not only suppress oxidative damage but also to reduce seizure generation and further damage associated with the same. Diosgenin, thus could be a promising candidate in mitigating the sequel of events implicated in the progression of epileptic disorder/seizures.