Effect of magnesium sulfate on hyperthermia and pentylentetrazol-induced seizure in developing rats

Febrile seizures (FS) are the most common type of convulsive events among children.
Its prevalence has been estimated to be 2-5% in children between 3 months and 5 years old. Also,
blood and CSF magnesium levels have been demonstrated to be reduced in children with FS. This
study investigates the effect of MgSo4 pretreatment on the behaviors caused by hyperthermia
(HT) and effect of these two on pentylen-tetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure later in life.
Materials and Methods: Thirty two Wistar rats were assigned to 2 groups: saline-hyperthermiapentylentetrazol (SHP) and magnesium-hyperthermia-pentylentetrazol (MHP). In both groups, HT
was induced at the age of 18-19 days old. Before the HT, MHP group received MgSo4 and SHP
group received normal saline intraperitoneally (IP). Behaviors of the rats were recorded during
the HT. Then, in half of each group (n=8) at the age of 25-26 days old and in other half at the age of
78-79 days, seizure was induced by PTZ.
Results: The HT successfully caused convulsive behaviors in the rats and pretreatment with MgSo4
before HT attenuated HT-induced convulsive behaviors. PTZ-induced seizures a week later was
more severe than those of 2 months later.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that pretreatment with MgSO4 inhibits HT-induced seizure and, in
a long run, this intervention reduced PTZ-induced seizure later in life