Introduction. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in humans that affects all ages. The antibiotic ceftriaxone with the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and the effect on the mediating level of glutamate in the brain is a good alternative to curative treatment. Therefore, this study examines the chronic administration of this drug on the anxiety induced by epilepsy in an animal model of Temporal Lobe epilepsy. Materials and Methods. 35 male rats were randomly -200-250 gr- divided into 4 groups: 1.Control group -N=7, animals received vehicle- 2. Pil group -N=7, animals received 30 mg/kg pilocarpine and Status Epilepticus was induced- 3. Pil+Cef group -N=7, animals received pilocarpine and daily administration of Ceftriaxone 200mg/kg for 5 days- 4. Cef group -N=7, animals only received 5 administration of Ceftriaxone-. 31 days after Status Epilepticus induction, anxiety was assessed using open-field task and elevated plus maze. Data were obtained using ANY-Maze software and were analyzed by Graphpad Prism. Results. Results show that Pilocarpine significantly increases anxiety measured as the reduction in time spent in the open arm of the Elevated plus maze -P<0.01-, as well as time and distance traveled in the center of open-field test -P<0.01-. Chronic ceftriaxone treatment can significantly increase time spent in open arm -P<0.05, compared to Pil group- of the EPM as well as time spent in the center of the open-field -P<0.05, compared to Pil group-. Conclusion. These results suggest that Ceftriaxone can reduce anxiety induced by Temporal lobe epilepsy, probably through upregulation glutamate transporter GLT-1.

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