Objective: To observe the effect of Xianyuquan granules (JYQG) on the contents of aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamic acid (Glu) in hippocampus of rats with epilepsy caused by pentetrazol

and explore the mechanism of JYQG in treatment of epilepsy. Method: Seventy healthy male SD rats were randomized into normal group

model group

valproic acid (VPA) group (200 mg·kg-1)

low-dose and high-dose JYQG groups (586

1172 mg·kg-1). Subconvulsant dose of pentetrazol (PTZ) was ip administered to establish epileptic rat models.The others were administrated with their medicine respectively for twenty-eight days. Hippocampus tissues were taken after behavior observation. The contents of GABA and Glu in hippocampus of the rats were measured on HPLC-MS/MSQ-TRAP. Result: Fifty-nine rats were analyzed finally. Compared with the model group

the incubation period of the VPA treated group and JYQG treated group was prolonged and the convulsion duration was shorter (P<0.01)

convulsion duration in high dose group was shorter than that in low dose group (P<0.05). Glu content in the hippocampus of model group was significantly higher than that of the normal group and the GABA content was significantly less than that of the normal group (P<0.01). Glu content in rats administrated with corresponding medicines was significantly less than that of model group while GABA content was higher than that of model group (P<0.05

P<0.01). Conclusion: The application of subconvulsant-dose pentetrazol can establish the epileptic model. The anti-epileptic effect of JYQG may be associated with decreasing the content of Glu and increasing the content of GABA in the hippocampus.