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Abstract:
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Epilepsy is a syndrome of episodic brain dysfunction characterized by recurrent unpredictable, spontaneous
seizures. Cerebellar dysfunction is a recognized complication of temporal lobe epilepsy and it is associated
with seizure generation, motor deficits and memory impairment. Serotonin is known to exert a modulatory
action on cerebellar function through 5HT2C receptors. 5-HT2C receptors are novel targets for developing anticonvulsant
drugs. In the present study, we investigated the changes in the 5-HT2C receptors binding and gene
expression in the cerebellum of control, epileptic and Bacopa monnieri treated epileptic rats. There was a
significant down regulation of the 5-HT content (pb0.001), 5-HT2C gene expression (pb0.001) and 5-HT2C
receptor binding (pb0.001) with an increased affinity (pb0.001). Carbamazepine and B. monnieri treatments
to epileptic rats reversed the down regulated 5-HT content (pb0.01), 5-HT2C receptor binding (pb0.001) and
gene expression (pb0.01) to near control level. Also, the Rotarod test confirms the motor dysfunction and
recovery by B. monnieri treatment. These data suggest the neuroprotective role of B. monnieri through the
upregulation of 5-HT2C receptor in epileptic rats. This has clinical significance in the management of epilepsy |