Protective effects of forced exercise against topiramate-induced cognition impairment and enhancement of its antiepileptic activity: molecular and behavioral evidences

Abstract

Propose/aim of study: Forced exercise can act as a neuroprotective factor and cognitive enhancer. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of forced exercise on topiramate (TPM) induced cognitive impairment and also on TPM anti-seizure activity and neurodegeneration status after seizure.

Material and method: Forty adult male rats were divided into four groups receiving normal saline, TPM (100 mg/kg), TPM in combination with forced exercise and forced exercise only respectively for 21 days. MWM test, and PTZ induced seizure were used and some oxidative, inflammatory and apoptotic biomarkers were measured for assessment of experimental animals.

Results: Forced exercise in combination with TPM could abolish the TPM induced cognitive impairment and potentiates its anti-seizure activity. Also forced exercise in combination with TPM decreased malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and Bax protein, while caused increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities after PTZ administration.

Conclusion: It seems that forced exercise could act as an adjunct therapy with TPM for management of induced cognitive impairment and can also potentiate TPM antiepileptic and neuroprotective effects.

Keywords:

• Topiramate
• forced exercise
• cognition
• seizure

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Acknowledgment

This research was undertaken as a thesis (Code 11398) in Medical School, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.