title: Seizure susceptibility to various convulsant stimuli of knockout interleukin-6 mice.
abstract: In the present study, the susceptibility of knockout interleukin-6 (IL-6(-/-)) mice to various convulsant stimuli has been evaluated and compared with other three related mice strains. Animals were treated with chemical convulsants impairing the gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmission [pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), picrotoxin, bicuculline, methyl-6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate (DMCM), methyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate (beta-CCM)], enhancing glutamatergic neurotransmission [N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA), alpha-amino-3 hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) and kainic acid (KA)] or a K(+)channel blocker [4-aminopyridine (4-AP)]. The behavioural changes of such convulsant stimuli on IL-6(-/-) were observed and compared with those observed in C57, IL-6(+/+) and DBA/2 mice. The occurrence of clonic and/or tonic seizures was scored and statistically analysed to observe possible differences on seizure susceptibility. The IL-6(-/-) mice exhibited significantly higher seizure susceptibility to PTZ, beta-CCM, DMCM, NMDA, AMPA and KA than did the other mice strains, with the exception of DBA/2 mice. This study demonstrates that IL-6(-/-) mice possess an increased susceptibility to some convulsant stimuli. In particular, the major convulsant effects produced by NMDA, AMPA and KA suggest that the excitatory amino acid system is more active in the central nervous system (CNS) of IL-6(-/-) mice. The present data suggest that IL-6(-/-) mice might be a valid novel epileptic model for the study of pathophysiology and pharmacology of epileptic seizures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine "G. Salvatore", School of Medicine, University of Catanzaro, Policlinico Mater Domini, Via T. Campanella, 115, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. desarro@unicz.it
authors.forename: Giovambattista
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Sarro
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferreri
authors.forename: Bruzzese
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giuseppe
authors.forename: Maria Antonietta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Flocco
authors.forename: Eugenio Donato
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Di Paola
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Sarro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003292:Convulsants / Q000633:toxicity*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003292:Convulsants; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids; D015850:Interleukin-6