Sprague Dawley rats (P11-P17) were injected with pilocarpine (300 mg/kg, i.p.) to induce SE, which was monitored by video-electroencephalography (v-EEG). Thirty minutes into SE, FBP was administrated (500 or 1000 mg/kg, i.p.). v-EEG recording was continued for ∼60 additional minutes to assess the anticonvulsant effect of FBP, compared with vehicle (saline) treatment.
SE consistently occurred in rat pups 10-15 min after pilocarpine injection and persisted over the 90-min recording period. Neither saline nor a lower dose of FBP (500 mg/kg) treatment stopped behavioral and electrographic seizures. At higher doses (1000 mg/kg), FBP terminated SE in ∼15 min in 60 % (6 of 10) of the rat pups.
The endogenous glycolytic metabolite, FBP, promptly suppresses ongoing seizure activity and represents a potential alternative metabolic therapy to improve the treatment of SE in the juvenile age range.