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Updated: May 23, 2026

Behavioral Characterization of Pentylenetetrazole-induced Seizures: Moving Beyond the Racine Scale
Published on: July 8, 2025
Hyperthermic seizures enhance responsiveness to pentylenetetrazole and induce cognitive dysfunction: protective
Ethel Antunes Wilhelm1, Ana Cristina Guerra Souza, Bibiana Mozzaquatro Gai
1Laboratório de Síntese, Reatividade e Avaliação Farmacológica e Toxicológica de Organocalcogênios, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.
Aims:
In this study we investigated the effect of pre-treatment with 3-alkynyl selenophene (3-ASP) against the increase in responsiveness to pentylenetetrazole [PTZ seizure threshold] and cognitive dysfunction induced by experimental febrile seizures (FS). The effects of 3-ASP were compared to those of diazepam (DZP).
Main Methods:
Young rats, at postnatal day 21, developed seizures after exposure to a stream of heated air to approximately 41°C. A non-spatial long-term memory and PTZ seizure threshold were determined 30 days after FS. The behavioural seizures were stereotyped followed by facial automatisms, often followed by body flexion. Young rats were pre-treated with 3-ASP (50 and 100mg/kg; per oral route), DZP (1 and 5mg/kg; intraperitoneally) or vehicle.
Key Findings:
3-ASP and DZP pre-treatments were not effective in protecting against seizures induced by FS. 3-ASP pre-treatment protected against the increase in responsiveness to PTZ and cognitive dysfunction induced by FS. DZP pre-treatment was effective in protecting against the increase in responsiveness to PTZ, but not, against the impaired memory induced by FS.
Significance:
3-ASP pre-treatment protected against impairment of memory performance in the step-down passive avoidance task and the increase in the susceptibility to seizures caused by FS early in life of rats.
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