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Abstract Background: Neuronal damage following seizures and epilepsy is one of the main causes of disabilities and mortality worldwide. In recent years, preconditioning has been introduced as a novel strategy for the prevention of brain damage. Preconditioning is a phenomenon in which a minor noxious stimulus protects from a subsequent more severe insult. The aim of present study was to examine the effect of ethanol (Eth) preconditioning on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced impairment memory in the inhibitory avoidance model. Material and Methods: This study was carried out on 45 adult male Wistar rats (180-200 g). Animals were assigned into five groups: Control, Eth 0.25, Eth 0.5, PTZ and Eth (0.5) +PTZ (n=9, for all groups). Eth-preconditioning was induced 6 days before the injection of PTZ. The animals were tested in a single trial step-through inhibitory test in two sessions (train and test). Then locomotor activity of rats was recorded in the open-field apparatus and NR1 mRNA expression in the hippocampus was measured by real-time PCR technique. Results: One-way ANOVA revealed that the Ethanol preconditioning did not impair inhibitory memory. Further, post-test analyses showed that Ethanol preconditioning significantly prevented from PTZ-induced memory impairment, and increased NR1 subunit mRNA expression in PTZ-induced memory impairment group. In addition, one-way ANOVA for the locomotor activity showed no significant difference between the groups. Conclusion: Our results showed that a pre-conditioning treatment with Ethanol (0.5g/kg/day), 6 days before PTZ-induced memory impairment may provide a kind of neuroprotection in rats.

Background and Objective: Antiepileptic drugs can partiality control or achieve the convulsion. There are controversial issues about the use and effect of ethanol to control epileptic convulsion seizers. This study was done to determine the effect of ethanol on microvascular alterations in the brain cortex of epileptic mice treated by valporic acid (VPA). Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 36 BALB/c mice were allocated randomly into six groups including: 1-PTZ (Pentylenetetrazol), 2- Ethanol, 3- VPA+ PTZ, 4- ethanol + PTZ, 5-ethanol+ VPA+ PTZ and control groups. The animal brains were excluded and stained by Hematoxilin and eosin. Thirty-six optical microscopic field from each group were selected and microvascular count were determined. Immunohistochemical method was used for detection of injuries in the vascular brain tissue. Results: Mean number of brain microvascular cortex significantly increaed in PTZ+ethanol and PTZ+ethanol+VPA groups in compare to controls (P<0.05). Infiltration and thrombophlebitis were observed in vessels and cortical brain tissues in mice which received ethanol and PTZ. Proliferations in endothelial vascular cells were seen in PTZ and VPA+ethanol groups. Immunohistochemical method showed the endothelial cells of PTZ+ethanol groups were more stained in compare to the other experimental groups. Conclusion: Ethanol + PTZ cause cellular infiltration and damage to the cortical brain vessels although VPA reduces histological altheretions.