Kindling phenomenon (an experimental model of acquired epilepsy) and long-term potentiation (LTP) have many features in common. LTP is associated with an increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration where intracellular Ca(2+) stores play an important role. Dantrolene has an inhibitory action against Ca(2+) release from intracellular Ca(2+) stores. This substance has been reported to inhibit t...

G-protein-coupled metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are being implicated in various forms of neuroplasticity and CNS disorders. This study examined whether the sensitivities of mGluR agonists are modulated in a distinct fashion in different models of synaptic plasticity, specifically, kindling and chronic cocaine treatment. The influence of kindling and chronic cocaine exposure in vivo ...

We have previously shown that the novel anticonvulsant levetiracetam exerts potent anticonvulsant activity against both focal and secondarily generalized seizures in fully amygdala-kindled rats, i.e. , a model of temporal lobe epilepsy. We examined whether levetiracetam also exhibits antiepileptogenic activity, i.e., prevents or retards acquisition or development of amygdala-kindling in rats. B...

Rats received 53 stimulations to either the left basolateral amygdala (BA) or left anterior neocortex (AN) in one environment (CS+) and 53 sham stimulations (the stimulation lead was attached but no current was delivered) in another environment (CS-), quasirandomly over 54 days. Confirming a previous report [Barnes, S.J., Pinel, J.P., Francis, L.H. & Wig, G.S. (2001) Behav. Neurosci., 115, 1065...

Histochemical and autoradiographic techniques were used to study mossy fiber sprouting which occurs in the hippocampus of kindled rats. In rats kindled by daily stimulation of amygdala or entorhinal cortex, the mossy fibers sprout to innervate the supragranular zone of fascia dentata; this synaptic reorganization was associated with a significant increase in the density of high-affinity kainic ...

A B S T R A C T Introduction: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder in which patients experience spontaneous recurrent seizures. Although the most commonly recommended therapy is drug treatment, some patients do not achieve adequate control of their seizures on existing drugs. New medications with novel mechanisms of action are needed to help those patients whose seizures are resistant to...

Sildenafil is the first marketed phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and recently, for pulmonary hypertension. While the treatment was found to be highly effective, several adverse effects are associated with this compound. Among numerous central nervous system-related untoward effects, proconvulsant activity was reported. The purpose of this study was to ass...

Recent studies suggested that safranal exerts anticonvulsant properties. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of on epileptic activities in amygdala electrical kindling model male rats. Animals were implanted with a recording electrode skull and tripolar amygdala. After 10 days recovery, afterdischarge (AD) threshold each animal was determined stimulated once daily AD for full deve...

Changes in the thresholds for afterdischarges and the formation of kindling effect in the medial amygdala following olfactory bulbectomy were investigated in the rat with chronic electrode implants. The threshold for afterdischarges in the amygdala of the olfactory bulbectomized rat (OB rat) was significantly decreased on day 4 after olfactory bulbectomy, however, no significant difference was ...

Intracellular recordings were obtained from the basolateral amygdala in in vitro rat brain slice preparations to examine whether gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)B receptors are altered after in vivo kindling-induced epileptogenesis. Stimulating the stria terminalis evoked excitatory (EPSPs) and inhibitory (IPSPs) postsynaptic potentials in control neurons, and epileptiform bursting or enhanced EP...