Preliminary report on the magnesium deficient rat as a model of epilepsy.
Weanling male rats fed a low magnesium diet for 14 days were protected from audiogenic seizures by administration of phenobarbital and diphenylhydantoin. Amphetamine, levo-dopa, and magnesium chloride injected 45 minutes prior to testing did not prevent the seizures. In contrast to weanling male rats which became mortally seizure prone, 3--5 week-old female rats fed a low magnesium diet for 17--21 days varied as to their susceptibility to audiogenic seizures. If thrown into seizures by a loud noise, the females frequently could be revived for subsequent testing, thus affording the opportunity to design experiments using fewer animals.
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D008275:Magnesium Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012737:Sex Factors
D010672:Phenytoin; D010634:Phenobarbital