FAST and SLOW Kindling Rats Show a Developmentally Regulated Difference in Susceptibility to Flurothyl Seizures.
Abstract number :
2.072
Submission category :
Year :
2001
Submission ID :
3092
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/1/2001 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Dec 1, 2001, 06:00 AM
Authors :
F.A. Lado, MD PhD, Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY; J. Asnis, Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY; D.C. McIntyre, PhD, Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada; S.L. Moshé, MD, Neurology, Albert E
RATIONALE: To determine whether the trait of increased or decreased seizure susceptibility to focal seizures alters the susceptibility to generalized seizures and is developmentally regulated.
METHODS: FAST and SLOW rats selectively bred to develop fully kindled seizures after few amygdala stimulations (FAST rats), or to resist development of kindled seizures even after many amygdala stimulations (SLOW rats) were used as models of altered susceptibility to focal seizures. FAST and SLOW rats were exposed to flurothyl, a convulsant gas, either on postnatal day 15-16, or as adults older than 60 days. The latency from onset of flurothyl exposure to the onset of clonic and tonic seizures was compared between FAST and SLOW rats in each age group.
RESULTS: Adult FAST rats developed clonic and tonic seizures significantly (p[lt]0.05) earlier that adult SLOW rats (see table). Immature rats, in contrast, showed a similar susceptibility to clonic-tonic seizures induced by flurothyl. At this age, clonic seizures are almost immediately followed by tonic seizures.
CONCLUSIONS: 1) Increased susceptibility to focally kindled seizures in adult rats is associated with increased susceptibility to generalized seizures.
2) This increased susceptibililty to generalized seizures is developmentally regulated, and is not present in 15-16 day old rat pups.[table]
Support: Kirby Foundation and NIH grant K08-NS41340(FAL), NIH grant NS-20253(SLM), and Natural Sciences and Research Council of Canada (DCM)