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Updated: Mar 23, 2026
Assessment of Memory Function in Pilocarpine-induced Epileptic Mice
Published on: June 4, 2020
The effect of Vitamin E on learning and memory deficits in intrahippocampal kainate-induced temporal lobe epilepsy in
Zahra Kiasalari1, Mohsen Khalili1, Samaneh Shafiee2
1Neurophysiology Research Center, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
Objective:
Since temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is associated with learning and memory impairment, we investigated the beneficial effect of Vitamin E on the impaired learning and memory in the intrahippocampal kainate model of TLE in rats.
Materials And Methods:
Rats were divided into sham, Vitamin E-treated sham, kainate, and Vitamin E-treated kainate. Intrahippocampal kainate was used for induction of epilepsy. Vitamin E was injected intraperitoneal (i.p.) at a dose of 200 mg/kg/day started 1 week before surgery until 1 h presurgery. Initial and step-through latencies in the passive avoidance test and alternation behavior percentage in Y-maze were finally determined in addition to measurement of some oxidative stress markers.
Results:
Kainate injection caused a higher severity and rate of seizures and deteriorated learning and memory performance in passive avoidance paradigm and spontaneous alternation as an index of spatial recognition memory in Y-maze task. Intrahippocampal kainate also led to the elevation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite and reduced activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Vitamin E pretreatment significantly attenuated severity and incidence rate of seizures, significantly improved retrieval and recall in passive avoidance, did not ameliorate spatial memory deficit in Y-maze, and lowered MDA and enhanced SOD activity.
Conclusion:
Vitamin E improves passive avoidance learning and memory and part of its beneficial effect is due to its potential to mitigate hippocampal oxidative stress.
