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Published on: July 13, 2014
Prenatal alcohol exposure enhances the susceptibility to NMDA-induced generalized tonic-clonic seizures in developing
Sue J Cho1, David M Lovinger2, Prosper N'Gouemo1
1Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Insights
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) increases generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) in young rats. This study models PAE-induced seizures to explore mechanisms of alcohol
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is linked to seizures in children.
- Previous research on PAE and seizures has produced inconsistent findings.
- Understanding PAE's impact on developing brains is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of acute PAE on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced seizures in developing rats.
- To establish a reliable animal model for studying PAE-related epilepsy.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant rats received ethanol or vehicle on embryonic day 18.
- Offspring were tested for NMDA-induced seizure susceptibility at multiple postnatal ages (P7-P42).
- Seizure types including generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) were recorded and analyzed.
Main Results:
- N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) induced various seizure types, with GTCS consistently observed across development.
- PAE significantly increased GTCS prevalence in early developmental stages (P7-P21/P35).
- PAE also elevated tonic seizure prevalence in males during specific developmental windows.
Conclusions:
- Acute PAE increases seizure susceptibility in developing rats.
- This PAE animal model offers a platform for investigating alcohol's effects on neuronal hyperexcitability.
- Further research can elucidate mechanisms underlying PAE-induced epilepsy.
Aims:
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with a higher likelihood of developing generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) in infants and children. However, experimental studies of PAE-related seizures have yielded conflicting results. Here, we investigated the effect of acute PAE on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced seizures in developing rats.
Methods:
Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were given an oral dose of either ethanol (5 g/kg body weight) or vehicle on embryonic day 18. The offspring were tested for susceptibility to NMDA-induced seizures on postnatal day 7 (P7), 21 (P21), 35 (P35), and 42 (P42). Specifically, the prevalence and latency of NMDA-induced continuous wild running-like behaviors (CWR), flexion seizures (FS), wild running seizures (WRS), GTCS, and tonic seizures (TS) were recorded and analyzed.
Results:
N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced seizures consisted of CWR, FS, GTCS, and TS in
Conclusions:
The PAE animal model of GTCS may provide a new opportunity to investigate the mechanisms that underlie neuronal hyperexcitability in developing animals prenatally-exposed to alcohol.
