Morphological changes in the hippocampus in amygdaloid kindled mouse

To clarify the origin and maintenance of epileptogenesis, morphological changes in the hippocampus of amygdaloid-kindled mice were analyzed at different stages of kindling. The granule cell size in dentate gyrus and the pyramidal cell size in CA1 were clearly decreased depending on seizure stage. The cell size in CA2 was increased and density in dentate gyrus and CA2 was reduced, significantly. The morphological changes in hippocampus associated with kindling must be closely related to the acquisition and the maintenance of epileptogenesis. The results support the hypothesis that seizure-induced damage of neurons may lead to formation of new synaptic connections that produce abnormal hyperexitability and result in seizures.