Kainic acid versus carbachol induced emotional-defensive response in the cat

The emotional-defensive response (EDR) and accompanied neurotoxic and electroencephalographic (EEG) effects induced by injection of kainic acid (KA, 0.1; 0.2 microgram) into the midbrain periaqueductal grey region (PAG) and antero-medial hypothalamus (AMH) in the cat were examined and compared with EDR and accompanied neurotoxic and EEG effects induced by injection of cholinergic agent, carbachol (CCH), into the same sites. The injections of KA (0.2 microgram) into the PAG induced EDR which closely resembled the defense behavior typically observed after administration of CCH. However, in contrast to CCH-induced EDR, the defensive response induced by KA was found to be accompanied by EEG symptoms of epileptiform activity in the limbic cortex and a massive cell loss in the site of injection. It is proposed that KA-induced EDR and seizure activity may have resulted from the activation of different cell populations localized either in the vicinity of the injection (i.e., PAG region) and in the area remote from the injection loci, the limbic cortex. KA induced activation of PAG neuronal network would trigger the 'local response' (emotional-defensive response) and produce a remote effect-epileptiform activity.