Figure 2.

A flow diagram showing the experimental design and the time-line of astaxanthin (AST) treatment. The induction of status epilepticus (SE) was induced in Wistar rats 7 days after electrode implantation. The assessment of successful SE model was using a modified Racine scale and electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring. Rats received the first injection of 30 mg/kg AST at an hour after the onset of SE, and seizures were terminated via i.p. injection of diazepam (10 mg/kg) at the same time. In the following 12 days (days 2–13), rats received injections of AST every other day (total six times). In the 14th day after SE induction, subgroups of rats (n = 8) treated with AST started performing Morris Water Maze (MWM) experiment along with SE rats and normal rats; part of rats (n = 6) conducted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and then euthanized via intracardiac perfusions for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) staining; the rest of rats (n = 8) were euthanized for biochemical and molecular biological studies [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) detection, WB and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) studies].