Premium
A new model for studying focal and generalized chronic seizures in anesthetized rats
Author(s) -
Naggar Isaac,
Stewart Mark
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.710.2
Subject(s) - kainic acid , status epilepticus , convulsant , epilepsy , anesthesia , epileptogenesis , medicine , electroencephalography , neuroscience , psychology , glutamate receptor , receptor
Seizure activity in anesthetized animals can be recorded in a number of different animal models. One such model uses urethane as an anesthetic and kainic acid as a convulsant. In addition, it is known that animals can be made epileptic using kainic acid by causing a period of status epilepticus and waiting for epileptogenesis to occur. We report an animal model to study seizure activity in kainic acid‐induced epileptic rats under urethane anesthesia. Sprague‐Dawley rats were injected with sufficient kainic acid to cause a period of status epilepticus. At ≥8 months post status epilepticus, at a time when behavioral seizures were evident, the rats were anesthetized with urethane. EEG recordings from CA1 and CA3 were performed together with recordings of EKG, BP, and vagus nerve. All rats exhibited abnormal spiking in the EEG and 42% (5/12) experienced spontaneous focal seizures while under anesthesia. Spontaneous generalized seizure activity occurred in a subset of these animals. In 56% (5/9 tested), focal and generalized seizures could be triggered with brief trains of electrical stimuli. Vagus nerve activity was found to be increased during focal and generalized seizures. These results demonstrate a new animal model to study seizures, especially focal seizures of limbic cortical origin, in anesthetized epileptic rats with a variety of applications, including the study of autonomic activity during seizures.