Increased susceptibility to generalized seizures after immunolesions of the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons in rats

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 878; no. 1; pp. 223 - 227
• Main Authors: Silveira, Diosely C., Holmes, Gregory L., Schachter, Steven C., Geula, Changiz, Schomer, Donald L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 29-09-2000; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Acetylcholinesterase - metabolism; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cholinergic system; Convulsants; Denervation; Disease Susceptibility; Epilepsy; Epilepsy, Generalized - chemically induced; Flurothyl; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Immunotoxins - pharmacology; Male; Medical sciences; N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - enzymology; Neurons - pathology; Pentylenetetrazole; Plant Proteins - pharmacology; Prosencephalon - drug effects; Prosencephalon - enzymology; Prosencephalon - pathology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; Saporin; Saporins; Disorders of the nervous system; Cholinergic system; Flurothyl; Pentylenetetrazole; Saporin; Epilepsy; Cholinergic neuron; Nervous system diseases; Pentetrazol; Rat; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Cerebral disorder; Flurotyl; Prosencephalon; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Sensitivity; Mammalia; Animal; Central nervous system disease; Lesion
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/S0006-8993(00)02703-7

We investigated whether basal forebrain cholinergic neurons influence the expression of generalized seizures. Animals received intracerebroventricular injections of saporin (lesioned) or saline (controls) and were tested for susceptibility to flurothyl- or pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures. Lesioned rats had significantly shorter latencies to onset of generalized tonic-clonic seizures than controls. Our findings suggest that basal forebrain cholinergic neurons may participate in the modulation of generalized seizures.