Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor ameliorates status epilepticus seizures and cognitive disturbances in a rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy

Background and Objective: In temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), recurrent seizures accompany with cognitive deficit. In some patients, the current medications cannot provide satisfactory control of seizures, therefore new drugs that act through different mechanisms are required. In the present study, the useful effect of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor was evaluated in experimental model of temporal lobe epilepsy in male rats. Materials and Methods: In this study, the effects of administration of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, linagliptin, on seizures score according to Racine’s scores and learning and memory impairment induced by intrahippocampal injection of kainic acid (4 ?g) using Y-maze and passive avoidance test were studied in rats. Linagliptin thirty minutes before kainic acid injection was administrated intracerebroventricularly. Results: In this study, the kainic acid-induced recurrent seizures, reduced alternation level in Y-maze test (p < 0.001) and lowered step through latency (STL) in the passive avoidance test (p < 0.001). Administration of linagliptin to epileptic rats reduced the score of status epilepticus seizures (p < 0.001), increased alternation score (p < 0.05) and learning capability in the passive avoidance test (p < 0.05). The difference between the effect of valproic acid and linagliptin on STL and Racine’s scores was significant (p < 0.05-p < 0.01). Conclusion: The obtained data indicate that linagliptin in kainate rats mitigates seizure severity and develops short-term memory.