The effects of alcohol intake and withdrawal on the seizures frequency and hippocampal morphology in rats with epilepsy.
The aim of our study, using the pilocarpine model of epilepsy, was to investigate the effects of alcohol administration and withdrawal on the spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRSs). Four groups of adult, male Wistar rats were studied: (A). control rats (n=10), received neither pilocarpine nor alcohol, (B). alcohol-treated rats (n=10), received a daily dose of 3.0 g x kg(-1) of a 30% alcohol solution via an oesophagic probe for 30 days, (C). rats with epilepsy (n=10), (D). rats with epilepsy with alcohol intake (n=10). SRSs were induced by a single dose of pilocarpine (i.p.) and the basal frequency of SRSs was video monitored (24h per day) for 30 days. Following this period, the animals of group D received a daily dose of alcohol solution as described above and at the end of this period, alcohol administration was stopped and the seizure frequency was assessed for more 30 days. The basal seizure frequency observed in groups C and D during the first 30 days was 2.2+/-1.8 seizures per week per animal. In group D, it was observed an increase to 12.2+/-5.8 during the first 2 weeks of alcohol administration. During the last 2 weeks of alcohol administration, the number of SRSs returned to the previous basal level. During alcohol withdrawal the seizure frequency increased to 14.3+/-7.4 seizures per week per animal for the first 2 weeks, and returned to the basal level in the remaining period of observation. The Neo-Timm and Nissl staining of hippocampal formation and of the dentate gyrus in rats with epilepsy showed a cell loss in the hippocampal subfield CA1 and in the hillus of dentate gyrus. In rats with epilepsy with alcohol intake, we observed a cell loss in hippocampal subfields CA3 and hillus of the dentate gyrus, with significant neuronal death in subfield CA1, when compared with control animals. The alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a crucial event for the development of functional and neuropathological alterations associated with epilepsy.
Laboratório de Neurociências, Núcleo de Pesquisas Tecnológicas/Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes (NPT/UMC), São Paulo, Brazil. scorza.nexp@epm.br
Fulvio Alexandre
FA
Scorza
Ricardo Mario
RM
Arida
Roberta Monterazzo
RM
Cysneiros
Margareth Rose
MR
Priel
Marly
M
de Albuquerque
Esper Abrão
EA
Cavalheiro
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020270:Alcohol Withdrawal Seizures / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar