Additive anticonvulsant effects of creatine supplementation and physical exercise against pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures

Although physical activity and creatine supplementation have been a documented beneficial effect on neurological disorders, its implications for epilepsy are still controversial. Thus, we decided to investigate the effects of 6 weeks swimming training, creatine supplementation (300 mg/kg; p.o.) or its combination seizures and neurochemical alterations induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). We found that 6 weeks of physical training or creatine supplementation decreased the duration of PTZ-induced seizures in adult male Wistar rats, as measured by cortical and hippocampal electroencephalography and behavioral analysis. Importantly, the combination between physical training and creatine supplementation had additive anticonvulsant effects, since it increased the onset latency for PTZ-induced seizures and was more effective in decrease seizure duration than physical training and creatine supplementation individually. Analysis of selected parameters of oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses in the hippocampus revealed that physical training, creatine supplementation or its combination abrogated the PTZ-elicited increase in levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and protein carbonylation, as well as decrease in non-protein-thiols content, catalase (CAT) and SOD activities. In addition, this protocol of physical training and creatine supplementation prevented the PTZ-induced decrease in hippocampal Na+,K+-ATPase activity. Altogether, these results suggest that protection elicited physical training and creatine supplementation of selected targets for reactive species-mediated damage decrease of neuronal excitability and consequent oxidative damage elicited by PTZ. In conclusion, the present study shows that physical training, creatine supplementation or its combination attenuated PTZ-induced seizures and oxidative damage in vivo, and provide evidence that combination between creatine supplementation and physical exercise may be a useful strategy in the treatment of convulsive disorders.