Background & Objective: There is considerable evidence in the field of epilepsy research suggesting that melatonin may have a potential therapeutic role in the treatment of epilepsy. Investigating the effects of melatonin on neuronal electrical activity may provide valuable insight into the development of adjunctive therapies in this context. We aimed to investigate the prophylactic properties of melatonin using the INTRACELLULAR RECORDING technique in an epilepsy model of snail neurons, which exhibit epileptic behavior similar to that in human neurons.
Materials & Methods: To study the impact of melatonin (100 µM) on firing pattern and action potential (AP) configuration in an epileptic condition, the current clamp technique was used on Helix aspersa neurons. RECORDINGs were made before and after administering Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) (25 mM).
Results: The findings demonstrated that applying melatonin to cells in normal Ringer's solution did not significantly alter the resting membrane potential (RMP) or the amplitude and duration of the AHP and AP. However, a significant decline in frequency was evident (P<0.05). Application of melatonin after PTZ significantly decreased the firing frequency of APs while concurrently enhancing the amplitude of AHP, which had been reduced by PTZ, and hyperpolarizing the RMP.
Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that melatonin has protective effects against some of the adverse impacts of PTZ on neuronal firing patterns in Helix aspersa neurons. These findings suggest that melatonin may play a crucial role in modulating neuronal excitability, which is important in epilepsy.