The relationship between age-related development of spike-and-wave discharges and the resistance to amygdaloid kindling in rats with genetic absence epilepsy

• Published in: Neurobiology of disease Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 355 - 363
• Main Authors: Çarçak, Nihan, Aker, Rezzan Gülhan, Özdemir, Osman, Demiralp, Tamer, Onat, Filiz Yılmaz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-12-2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Absence epilepsy model; Aging - physiology; Amygdala - physiopathology; Amygdaloid stimulation; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Electric Stimulation; Electroencephalography; Epilepsy, Absence - genetics; Epilepsy, Absence - physiopathology; GAERS; Kindling resistance; Kindling, Neurologic; Lidocaine - pharmacology; Limbic seizures; Male; Microelectrodes; Neurology; Rats; Rats, Transgenic; Rats, Wistar; Somatosensory Cortex - drug effects; Somatosensory Cortex - physiopathology; Temporal lobe epilepsy model; Temporal lobe epilepsy model; GAERS; Kindling resistance; Absence epilepsy model; Limbic seizures; Amygdaloid stimulation
• ISSN: 0969-9961; 1095-953X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2008.07.018

Abstract Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats from Strasbourg (GAERS) are resistant to amygdaloid kindling. Since in GAERS the characteristics of spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs) change with age, we have studied the relation between SWD maturation and the development of kindling resistance. Non-epileptic Wistar rats and GAERS were stimulated in basolateral amygdala with 400 μA at 20 min intervals until they reached stage 5 seizures or for a maximum of 36 stimulations. All of the Wistar rats, the postnatal (PN) day 20 GAERS and the (kindling-prone) subgroups of GAERS at PN30 and PN60 reached stage 5 seizures; at PN20, PN30 and PN60 kindling rates were significantly slower in GAERS compared to Wistar rats. At PN30 and PN60, 41% and 69% of GAERS, respectively, showed no stage 3, 4 or 5 seizures after 36 stimulations (kindling-resistant subgroups). The SWD maturation involves changes in spectral patterns and correlate with age-related increases in kindling resistance in GAERS.