Ontogeny of absence-like and tonic seizures in the spontaneously epileptic rat.
The ontogeny of epileptic seizures in spontaneously epileptic rats (SER; zi/zi, tm/tm) was studied by examining behaviour and electroencephalogram (EEG) simultaneously. Weight gain and survival time were also studied. Compared with the control Kyo:Wistar rats, SER showed a much smaller increase in body weight. All male and female SER died before 20 and 18 weeks of age, respectively. Body tremor was observed at 2 weeks of age but disappeared after 11 weeks. Staggering gait appeared after 7 weeks of age, and intensified with age. Absence-like seizures characterized by paroxysmal appearance of 5-7 Hz spike-wave-like complexes were observed in the cortical or hippocampal EEG after 5 weeks of age, and tonic seizures with low voltage fast waves were observed after 6 weeks of age. All SER exhibited both absence-like and tonic seizures with high frequencies from 12 weeks of age. Differences with other spontaneous rat models of epilepsy and application methods for estimating seizure-inhibitory effects of anti-epileptic drugs are discussed.
Serikawa
T
T
Institute of Laboratory Animals, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
Yamada
J
J
Ujihara
H
H
Ohno
Y
Y
Sasa
M
M
Takaori
S
S
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY / Q000254:growth & development*; D012640:Seizures / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014202:Tremor / Q000503:physiopathology; D015430:Weight Gain