Abstract

In the female species, effect of estrogens on seizure activity is well documented, but not much is known on the effect of this ubiquitous steroid hormone on the seizure activity of the male species. In the present study, fully kindled male rats were treated with various doses (10, 30 and 50 mug/kg. i.p.) of estradiol benzoate (EB) daily, and kindled seizure parameters such as seizure stage (SS), after discharge duration (ADD) and stage 5 duration (S5D) were recorded at various times (0.25, 3 h and every 24 h for 96 h) after the first of daily EB treatments. While the 10-mug/kg dose of EB failed to produce any significant effect, the 30-mug/kg dose induced a triphasic effect on seizure parameters. An initially rapid increment of ADD (after 0.25 h), followed by significant decrease of all parameters at 48 h and later a significant increase in S5D was observed 96 h after the first of daily EB treatments. The 50-mug/kg dose of EB produced almost a similar but less marked pattern of effects. Pre-treatment with a 3-mg/kg dose of tamoxifen citrate (TAM), not only blocked the EB (30 mug/kg) effects till 72 h but also reduced the ADD and S5D significantly after 0.25 h, when compared to its control group. While pre-treatment with the 10-mg/kg dose of TAM only blocked the inhibitory effects of EB 48 h after the first of daily EB treatments. Administration of the latter dose of TAM alone induced a profile similar to EB treatment. These results may suggest that in male rats, estradiol treatment can both potentiate and attenuate kindled seizure parameters in a time dependent manner, and the stimulatory effects can not be blocked by TAM pre-treatment. (C) 7001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.