Abstract
Camphor is an aromatic terpene compound found in the essential oils of many plants, which has been used for centuries as a herbal medicine, especially in children. However, many studies have shown that camphor may have major side effects, including neurological manifestation, such as seizures. In the present study, we investigated the electrocorticographic patterns of seizures induced by camphor in male adult Wistar rats. Each rat received 400 mg/kg (i.p.) of camphor prior to monitoring by electrocorticography. The application of camphor resulted a rapid evolution to seizure and marked changes in the electrocorticographic readings, which presented characteristics of epileptiform activity, with an increase in the total power wave. The decomposition of the cerebral waves revealed an increase in the delta and theta waves. The analysis of the camphor traces revealed severe ictal activity marked by an increase in the polyspike wave. Our data thus indicate that camphor may cause seizures, leading to tonic–clonic seizures. Clearly, further studies are necessary to better elucidate the mechanisms through which camphor acts on the brain, and to propose potential treatments with anticonvulsant drugs that are effective for the control of the seizures.
Highlights
Camphor is an aromatic terpene compound found in the essential oils of many plants, which has been used for centuries as a herbal medicine, especially in children
It is interesting to note that most cases of accidental poisoning by camphor occur in children, which may evolve to epilepsy with severe neurological sequelae[1,2,3,4,8,9]
Stage 3, which involved spasms of the forelimbs, began at 281.9 ± 26.5 s, while the final stage was characterized by clonic seizure without any transient loss of the posturing reflex, followed by focal seizure that evoked secondary generalization, starting at 566.0 ± 122.7 s
Summary
Camphor is an aromatic terpene compound found in the essential oils of many plants, which has been used for centuries as a herbal medicine, especially in children. Camphor has been used for centuries as a herbal medicine, nasal decongestant, analgesic, antiseptic, and insecticide, and in religious rituals It is used in the form of an essential oil, oil, spray or isolated compound, and is absorbed rapidly through the skin or digestive tract, or by inhalation[1,2]. Despite this long history of use, camphor causes a number of side effects, including nausea, vomiting, respiratory impairment, abortive effect, liver and kidney damage, and, in particular, s eizures[1,2,3,4]. The present study describes the electrocorticographic changes in a murine model of camphor-induced seizure, with the objective of identifying the cerebral focus and contributing to the development of effective therapeutic strategies
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