[Audiogenic epilepsy in 101/HY mice at different periods of postnatal development]

It has been established that mice of strain 101/HY suffer from audiogenic epilepsy seizures, the frequency and severity of which depend on animal sex and age. Mice were subjected to high intensity sound (about 100 dB) at the age of 14-16, 30, 60, and 190-270 days (Groups I, II, III, and IV, respectively). The testing was done three times. Mice of Group I were tested twice. The duration of sound stimulus was 20 s. Mice of both sexes from Group I were most sensitive. During the first test, the so-called "wild-run" behavior developed in 90% of animals and 60% showed tonoclonic seizure. Lethal outcomes in animals of this group (26.7% of the males and 23.5% of the females) were observed mainly during the second test, conducted one day after the first one. Only 6.7% of the males died during the first test in Group I. Severity of audiogenic seizure in males decreased with age, whereas among females there was a decrease in the number of animals with sensitivity to the sound stimulus. Among females of Groups III and IV, we did not detect any animals responding to the audiogenic stimulus by seizure and there were no deaths. Mechanisms underlying the audiogenic sensitivity of 101/HY mice are reviewed in the light of other information about the development of this genetic trait in rodents and in connection with other biological characteristics of these animals.