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Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins
Published on: August 15, 2017
The effects of neonatal hypoxia on kindled seizure development and electroconvulsive shock profiles
C D Applegate1, F Jensen, J L Burchfiel
1Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, New York, USA.
Insights
Neonatal hypoxia exposure increases seizure susceptibility in some models but not electrical kindling or electroconvulsive shock. This suggests hypoxia-induced neural reorganization affects specific brain systems differently.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Epilepsy Research
Background:
- Previous studies show neonatal hypoxia (postnatal days 10-15) causes seizures and increases susceptibility to chemical convulsants.
- This suggests hypoxia induces lasting changes in neural networks controlling seizure activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of neonatal hypoxia on susceptibility to electrical kindling and corneal electroconvulsive shock in adulthood.
- To determine if hypoxia-induced seizure susceptibility extends to models involving direct electrical brain stimulation.
Main Methods:
- Rat pups (postnatal day 10) were exposed to a hypoxic environment (3% O2).
- Adult rats (70 days old) underwent either electrical kindling (septa/amygdala) or corneal electroshock.
- Seizure development and profiles were compared between hypoxic-pretreated and control groups.
Main Results:
- Hypoxic pretreatment did not significantly alter seizure development during electrical kindling from the septal nucleus or amygdala.
- Corneal electroconvulsive shock profiles remained unchanged in rats exposed to neonatal hypoxia.
- The findings indicate a lack of effect on these specific seizure models.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal hypoxia increases seizure susceptibility selectively, impacting some experimental models but not others.
- The results suggest that hypoxia-induced neural reorganization does not uniformly affect all brain systems.
- Specific anatomical systems are differentially targeted by the mechanisms underlying hypoxia-induced changes in seizure susceptibility.
Purpose:
Our previous research indicated that the exposure of rat pups to an hypoxic environment during a discrete developmental period (postnatal days 10-15) produces short-term seizures and confers an enduring increase in susceptibility to pentylenetetrazol- and flurothyl-induced seizures. In this study, we evaluated the effects of hypoxic insult in this neonatal period of susceptibility to electrical kindling and corneal electroconvulsive shock.
Methods:
Ten-day-old rat pups were exposed to a 3% O2 environment, as previously described, and were either kindled or exposed to corneal electroshock at adulthood (70 days old).
Results:
Neither kindled seizure development from the septal nucleus or amygdala nor electroconvulsive shock profiles were significantly altered by hypoxic pretreatment.
Conclusions:
Results indicate that hypoxia produces increases in seizure susceptibility that are observable in only some experimental seizure models but not in others. This outcome serves to target some anatomic systems more than others in the mechanisms involved in hypoxia-induced neural reorganization.
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