Silveira DC, Holmes GL, Schachter SC, Geula C, Schomer DL (1999) Increased susceptibility to flurothyl-induced generalized seizures after immunolesions to cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain. Neuroscience 1999 Abstracts 643.7. Society for Neuroscience, Miami, FL.
Summary: Intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of toxin 192 IgG-saporin produce almost complete loss of cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain (BF) with extensive dennervation throughout the neocortex and hippocampus. The association among epilepsy and BF cholinergic neurons, which are involved in learning and memory processes, remains unclear. Intraperitoneal injections of pilocarpine, a cholinergic agonist, elicit seizures. Seizures alter the expression of hippocampal muscarinic receptors in human epilepsy. Immunolesions to BF cholinergic neurons increase the number of generalized seizures induced by rapid amygdaloid kindling. We investigated whether BF cholinergic neurons influence the expression of generalized seizures in model of generalized epilepsy. Adult male rats received icv injections of toxin 192-IgG-saporin (lesioned group) or saline (control group). Following 30 days of icv injections both lesioned and control rats were submitted to flurothyl administration. The latency of onset for the first myoclonic jerk, bilateral forelimb clonus, and tonic seizures were recorded. In addition, the hidden platform version of the Morris water maze was used to assess spatial learning and memory. Brain tissue was processed for acetylcholinesterase activity using sensitive histochemical method. Lesioned rats had significantly (p<0.05) shorter latency of onset of tonic seizures than control rats. Spatial learning and memory was significantly (p<0.05) reduced in lesioned animals compared to controls. These preliminary results indicate that immunolesions to cholinergic neurons in the BF increase the susceptibility to seizures induced by flurothyl. Thus, it appears that BF cholinergic neurons participate in the modulation of generalized seizures in both limbic and generalized epilepsy in rats.
Related Products: 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01)