Epilepsy is one of the most severe and common neurologic disorder, affecting more than 50 million people worldwide. This disturbance is characterized by the occurrence of spontaneous and recurrent convulsions due to abnormal, excessive and synchronous electrical trigger in the neural network. This study aimed to describe the behavior analysis of epileptic behavior in adult zebrafish induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and the effects of oral diazepam (DZP) in it. Animals’ behavior was recorded for 20 minutes after treatment with saline solution (vehicle), PTZ (125/250/400/500 mg/kg), or co-treatment with DZP (10 mg/kg) + PTZ (250/400 mg/kg). Then, altered behavioral manifestation was scored between 0 and 6 according to the following parameters: seizures score and cumulative frequency, seizure intensity measured through the area under the curve, latency (clonic seizure), latency (tonic seizure), and survival rate. Control group had scores between 0 and 3 and smaller convulsion intensity when compared to the PTZ-treated group. This latter group scores ranged from 0 to 6. Moreover, the convulsion intensity ranged from median (PTZ at 125 mg/kg) to high (PTZ at 250/400/500 mg/kg). Latency to score 4 was similar in all PTZ treatments. However, latency to score 5 was higher in groups treated with PTZ at 400 and 500 mg/kg and was not detected in the group treated with PTZ at 125 mg/kg. Co-treatment with DZP + PTZ had scores between 0 to 5, less convulsion intensity, higher latency to scores 4 and 5. Animals death occurred only in the group treated with PTZ at 500 mg/kg. These results show behavior characterization of seizures scores in zebrafish treated with PTZ (i.p.) and DZP (p.o.). Providing, this way, a valuable tool for translational research, and more feasible model to replicate data to mammals.
Key words: Zebrafish, Pentylenetetrazole, Diazepam, Anticonvulsant, Seizures
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