SUBTHRESHOLD CORAZOL DOSES INDUCED GENERALIZED SEIZURES IN AUDIGENIC SEIZURE-PRONE RATS

Purpose: It was suggested that high audiogenic epilepsy (AE) susceptibility in rats of Krushinsky-Molodkina (KM) rat strain could be accompanied by increase in general seizure proneness. This could be tested exploring the reaction to low corazol doses in these rats and in rats of genetically related but non-prone to AE strain (strain “0”), which was used as control. Method: 6 months old male rats of two strains (KM and “0”) received the subthreshold (40 mg/kg) corazol injections. After injections rats were placed in individual cages and were observed for 40 - 50 min in order to discover the display/absence of corazol induced convulsions. Results: The typical corazol seizures developed in more than 50% of KM rats (AE-susceptible) in comparison to non-prone control rats, in which these seizures were more rare events. The control rats of “0” strain demonstrated seizures of significantly lower intensity, than in KM rats. Although most rats of “0”, which did not express corazol seizures and no AE seizures three weeks before the experiment as well, demonstrated they demonstrated the intense AE seizures when tested 20 min after corazol injection. Conclusions: Rats of KM strain, selected for intense AE seizures, developed generalized seizures in response to subthreshold corazol dose, demonstrating the elevated general seizure proneness