title: Mossy fiber sprouting induced by repeated electroconvulsive shock seizures.
abstract: The elicitation of repeated focal seizures (kindling) induces mossy fiber sprouting in the hippocampus of the rat. The present study investigated whether repeated generalized seizures also induce mossy fiber sprouting. Human psychiatric patients receive repeated generalized seizures during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Male Long-Evans rats received a course of eight electroconvulsive shock (ECS) seizures administered on a 48-h schedule over a course of 2 1/2 weeks. Control subjects received matched handling, but no stimulation. Fourteen days after the last ECS trial, all subjects were sacrificed and their brains subjected to Timm staining. Cell counts and area measures were also taken in the hilus. Significant sprouting, but not significant cell loss, was seen in the fascia dentata of the subjects that had received ECS.
authors.affiliation: Bloorview Epilepsy Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gombos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spiller
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Cottrell
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Racine
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: McIntyre Burnham
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death; D003720:Densitometry; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D019599:Mossy Fibers, Hippocampal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D013194:Staining and Labeling