Flurothyl status epilepticus in developing rats: behavioral, electrographic histological and electrophysiological studies.

Abstract

Status epilepticus and repeated seizures have age-dependent morphological and neurophysiological alterations in the hippocampus. In the present study, effects of flurothyl-induced status epilepticus were examined in awake and free moving immature (2 weeks old) and adult rats. Without exception, adult rats died of respiratory arrest before the onset of status epilepticus. We were unable to find a concentration of flurothyl that produced status epilepticus and a low mortality in adult rats. In contrast, immature rats survived flurothyl status epilepticus for up to 60 min with a very low mortality. In rat pups, behavioral manifestations correlated with electrographic seizures in both the cortex and hippocampus. Neuropathological damage (cell loss, pyknotic cells or gliosis) was not observed in the immature hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala, substantia nigra or cortex at 24 h, 2 days or 2 weeks after status epilepticus. In addition, no aberrant mossy fiber reorganization or decrease in cells counts were observed in the hippocampus. Young rats did not show alterations in paired-pulse perforant path inhibition following flurothyl status epilepticus. The present findings are consistent with studies in other seizure models, indicating that immature rats are highly resistant to seizure-induced changes.

• Authors: E F Sperber, K Z Haas, M T Romero, P K Stanton
• Journal: Brain research. Developmental brain research (Brain Res Dev Brain Res) Vol. 116 Issue 1 Pg. 59-68 (Aug 05 1999) ISSN: 0165-3806 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 10446347 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)
• Copyright: Copyright 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.

Chemical References

• Convulsants
• Flurothyl

Topics

• Animals
• Behavior, Animal (drug effects)
• Cerebral Cortex (drug effects, pathology, physiopathology)
• Convulsants (toxicity)
• Electroencephalography (drug effects)
• Flurothyl (toxicity)
• Hippocampus (drug effects, pathology, physiopathology)
• Male
• Mossy Fibers, Hippocampal (drug effects, pathology)
• Neurons (drug effects, pathology)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Silver Staining
• Status Epilepticus (chemically induced, pathology, physiopathology, psychology)