Evaluating the interplay between estrous cyclicity and flurothyl-induced seizure susceptibility in Scn2a mice

Recently, we demonstrated that Scn2a female mice showed a distinct distribution of flurothyl-induced seizure thresholds. To evaluate whether the estrous cycle contributes to this effect, estrous cycle monitoring was performed in mice that had undergone ovariectomy, sham surgery, or no treatment prior to seizure induction. Ovariectomy did not affect the non-unimodal distribution of flurothyl seizure thresholds observed in Scn2a females. Additionally, seizure thresholds were not associated with estrous cycle stage in mice that underwent sham surgery or in non-surgerized (intact) mice. Interestingly, intact Scn2a females showed evidence of disrupted estrous cyclicity, an effect not previously described in a genetic epilepsy model.