title: Behavioral characterization of pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures in the marmoset.
abstract: This study was designed to characterize seizures induced with pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) in marmosets. Thirteen adult marmosets (Callithrix sp.) received 20, 30, or 40 mg/kg of PTZ intraperitoneally. PTZ caused all animals to switch their natural behavioral repertoire to early convulsive behavior. Seizure scores were low at lower PTZ doses, whereas the highest dose of PTZ led to seizure scores IV and V (according to Racine's scale) in 69% of animals. To further characterize the model we performed a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of three antiepileptic drugs: phenobarbital, phenytoin, and carbamazepine. Phenobarbital prevented PTZ-induced seizures in 100% of trials. As expected, phenytoin and carbamazepine were not effective against PTZ-induced seizures. The present study describes the PTZ model of seizures in marmosets with a drug-response profile similar to that of the rodent model, thus bringing to a well-known model (PTZ in rodents) the complexity of a nonhuman primate brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: João C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bachiega
authors.forename: Miriam M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perez-Mendes
authors.forename: Simone Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cinini
authors.forename: Luciene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Covolan
authors.forename: Luiz E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Mello
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002144:Callithrix; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D010433:Pentylenetetrazole