Acta Medica Medianae (Dec 2004)
PENICILLIN EPILEPSY IN RATS
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to test, in a model of experimental penicillin epilepsy, a hypothesis of primary and dominant role of cortex in genesis of epileptic discharges, by using recordings of electrocorticograms (EcoG). The experiments were made with around two and a half old male rats. The rats were divided into four groups of five animals each. In the case of the first group, antibiotics were applied intraperitoneally (i.p.). Epileptic generalized discharges of this group were not registered until administering a dosage of antibiotics higher than 1.8 x 106 IU/kg. In the second group, application of a dosage of 1.2 x 106 IU/kg resulted in individual discharges. In the third group, antibiotics were applied intracortically (i.c.) in a dosage of 50 IU and caused individual discharges without big seizures. The fourth group needed a dosage of 100 IU/kg of penicillin applied i.c. to develop a big seizure. Discharges in the first three groups were registered first as unilateral with a subsequent development of bilateral synchrony. In the case of the fourth group, immediately and abruptly after the application of penicillin big seizures developed violently and repeated several times. We consider that the very implantation of electrodes provokes occurrence of discharging.
