Morphological plasticity in an infant monkey model of temporal lobe epilepsy.
OBJECTIVE
Seizures in early life are thought to contribute to the development of human temporal lobe epilepsy. To examine the consequences of early seizures, we elicited status epilepticus in immature, 5.5- to 7.0-month-old pigtailed macaques by unilateral microinfusion of bicuculline methiodide into the entorhinal cortex.


RESULTS
This report focuses on neuropathological changes in the hippocampus. Bicuculline infusion consistently elicited limbic-like seizures with prolonged, relatively localized electrographic activity. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed enhanced signal intensity in the ipsilateral hippocampus after seizures; in some cases, there was also progressive hippocampal atrophy. Histological changes were variable; in two of five monkeys, there was significant hippocampal neuron loss, gliosis, granule cell dispersion, and mossy fiber reorganization.


CONCLUSIONS
The histopathological findings and associated magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities after bicuculline-induced status epilepticus in infant monkeys mimic common aspects of human temporal lobe epilepsy.
Jürgen Wenzel
H
H
Department of Neurological Surgery Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98195, USA. jurgen@u.washington.edu
Born
D E
DE
Dubach
M F
MF
Gunderson
V M
VM
Maravilla
K R
KR
Robbins
C A
CA
Szot
P
P
Zierath
D
D
Schwartzkroin
P A
PA
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D008254:Macaca nemestrina; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D019599:Mossy Fibers, Hippocampal / Q000473:pathology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology
C017069:bicuculline methiodide; D001640:Bicuculline