title: A single pentylenetetrazole-induced clonic-tonic seizure episode is accompanied by a slowly developing cognitive decline in rats.
abstract: According to different studies, between 5% and 10% of people suffer a single isolated seizure episode at some time in their life. However, little is known about the effects of a single seizure episode on cognitive function, and clinical investigations of this issue are not easy to perform. In this situation, animal models may be a reasonable choice. The aim of our study was to follow the time course of delayed effects of generalized clonic-tonic convulsions on learning and memory functions in rats. A clonic-tonic seizure episode was induced by a single i.p. injection of pentylenetetrazole (70 mg/kg). Different behavioral tests were performed between days 10 and 100 after the convulsant administration. A single seizure episode resulted in a gradual decline in short-term memory function as assessed by novel object recognition and social recognition tests. The seizure episode induced a quick increase in hippocampal cell proliferation; however, the excessive newly generated cells seemed to be eliminated by the time of obvious cognitive impairment. These observations are indicative of a slowly developing and long-lasting influence of a single seizure episode on cognitive function. A rather long time period between the seizure episode and the manifestations of cognitive decline provides a window for a possible therapeutic intervention, and an elaboration of such "post-conditioning" treatments may be a promising opportunity to prevent subsequent mental impairments in patients.
authors: Department of Functional Biochemistry of the Nervous System, Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, RAS, Butlerov Street 5A, Moscow 117485, Russia.
authors: Victor A
authors: VA
authors: Aniol
authors: Aleksandra Y
authors: AY
authors: Ivanova-Dyatlova
authors: Ora
authors: O
authors: Keren
authors: Alla B
authors: AB
authors: Guekht
authors: Yosef
authors: Y
authors: Sarne
authors: Natalia V
authors: NV
authors: Gulyaeva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D010433:Pentylenetetrazole