The effect of Madopar on absence-like seizures in WAG/Rij rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Madopar on the absence seizures and the anxiety-like behavior (assessed using the open field test) in Wistar Albino Glaxo/Rijswijk (WAG/Rij) rats. Twenty-eight male WAG/Rij rats were randomly divided into four groups: group I: control; group II: Madopar 5 mg/kg; group III: Madopar 50 mg/kg; group IV: Madopar 100 mg/kg. A tripolar electrode was attached to all WAG/Rij rats. Electrocorticography (ECoG) recordings were made before and after Madopar (5, 50, and 100 mg/kg) injection for three hours. Anxiety-related behavior was studied using the open field test for 5 min after the ECoG recordings. Madopar significantly reduced the number and duration of spike-wave discharges (SWDs) when compared to the control group. The highest dose of Madopar (100 mg/kg) significantly reduced the duration of SWDs when compared to Madopar (5 mg/kg). All Madopar doses did not alter the duration of grooming, but the highest doses of Madopar significantly increased the number of squares crossed in the open field test when compared to the control and Madopar (5 mg/kg) groups. These results revealed that Madopar reduced the absence-like seizures and the anxiety-related behavior in WAG/Rij rats. This may emphasize the therapeutic properties of the Madopar/L-dopa in absence epilepsy.