OBJECTIVETo study the effect of saikosaponins, the active ingredients of Bupleurum chinense DC, on epileptic seizure and EEG of pentetrazole (PTZ)-induced chronic kindling rats.

METHODSForty-eight healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 equal groups, namely the blank control group, normal saline (NS) group, sodium valproate (VPA) group, and 3 saikosaponins groups of high, medium and small doses. Except those in the blank control group, the rats in the other groups were all given different treatments as specified prior to intraperitoneal PTZ injection to induce kindling on a daily basis for 4 consecutive weeks. Epileptic seizures of the rats were recorded during the treatment and EEG recorded at the end of the treatments.

RESULTSSeizure frequency in the 3 saikosaponins groups decreased 2 weeks later, which was especially obvious in the high-dose group (P<0.05). The kindling rate was significantly lower in high-dose saikosaponins group than in the other treatment groups after 4 weeks of the treatment (P<0.05), with also less intense seizure onset (P<0.01) and differences in the wave form of EEG.

CONCLUSIONSaikosaponins can inhibit PTZ-induced epileptic seizure in kindling rats and antagonize the kindling effect of PTZ.