Abstract
Extracts of the tropical Cinderella plant Synedrella nodiflora are used traditionally to manage convulsive conditions in the West African sub-region. This study sought to determine the neuronal basis of the effectiveness of these plant extracts to suppress seizure activity. Using the hippocampal slice preparation from rats, the ability of the extract to depress excitatory synaptic transmission and in vitro seizure activity were investigated. Bath perfusion of the hydro-ethanolic extract of Synedrella nodiflora (SNE) caused a concentration-dependent depression of evoked field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) recorded extracellularly in the CA1 region of the hippocampus with maximal depression of about 80% and an estimated IC50 of 0.06 mg/ml. The SNE-induced fEPSP depression was accompanied by an increase in paired pulse facilitation. The fEPSP depression only recovered partially after 20 min washing out. The effect of SNE was not stimulus dependent as it was present even in the absence of synaptic stimulation. Furthermore, it did not show desensitization as repeat application after 10 min washout produced the same level of fEPSP depression as the first application. The SNE effect on fEPSPs was not via adenosine release as it was neither blocked nor reversed by 8-CPT, an adenosine A1 receptor antagonist. In addition, SNE depressed in vitro seizures induced by zero Mg2+ and high K+ -containing artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) in a concentration-dependent manner. The results show that SNE depresses fEPSPs and spontaneous bursting activity in hippocampal neurons that may underlie its ability to abort convulsive activity in persons with epilepsy.
Highlights
The use of plants as a source of drugs is long-standing and widespread in developing countries (Rates, 2001)
We investigated the actions of the hydro-ethanolic extract of Synedrella nodiflora (SNE) on evoked excitatory field potentials recorded in the CA1 area of the hippocampus and on chemically induced seizures in hippocampal slices
Pre-treatment of hippocampal slices with 8-CPT (4 μm) did not prevent or block the ability of any of the tested doses of SNE to depress field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) (Figure 5). In another set of slices, when SNE had induced peak fEPSP depression at the highest concentration tested, subsequent application of 4 μm 8-CPT did not reverse the synaptic depression induced by SNE (Figure 6)
Summary
The use of plants as a source of drugs is long-standing and widespread in developing countries (Rates, 2001). A number of plant products have traditionally been used in the management of epilepsy in Ghana (Mshana et al, 2000; Adjei, 2017; Amoateng et al, 2018b) and some of these have been investigated on animal models of seizures with promising efficacy and minimal side effects (; Stafford et al, 2008; Woode, et al, 2011a; Woode, et al, 2011b; Amoateng et al, 2012; Mante et al, 2013; Kukuia et al, 2016) One of such plants is Synedrella nodiflora, a weed which grows abundantly in Ghana mainly in water-logged and shady areas. These effects likely involved presynaptic mechanisms but were not mediated by adenosine, a known presynaptic modulator
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