Effects of acute maximal electroshock and chronic transauricular kindled seizures on learning abilities in Sprague-Dawley rats

• Published in: Zhejiang da xue xue bao. Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences. Yi xue ban Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 134 - 140
• Main Authors: Li, Qing, Wu, Deng-Chang, Zhang, Qi, Chen, Zhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: China 01.03.2007
• Subjects: Animals; Chronic Disease; Electric Stimulation - instrumentation; Electric Stimulation - methods; Electrodes; Electroshock - adverse effects; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - metabolism; Hippocampus - metabolism; Histamine - metabolism; Kindling, Neurologic - physiology; Learning Disabilities - etiology; Learning Disabilities - metabolism; Learning Disabilities - physiopathology; Maze Learning - physiology; Memory Disorders - etiology; Memory Disorders - metabolism; Memory Disorders - physiopathology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Seizures - complications; Seizures - physiopathology
• ISSN: 1008-9292

To investigate effects of acute maximal electroshock (MES) and chronic transauricular kindled seizures on learning abilities in Sprague-Dawley rats. An acute MES was induced by giving an alternating current (150 mA, 0.2 s) through ear-clip electrodes. Chronic transauricular kindled seizure was induced by repeated application of initially subconvulsive electrical stimulation (40 mA, 0.2 s) through ear-clip electrodes once every 24 h. An 8-arm radial maze (4 arms baited) was used to measure learning abilities. Histamine, glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In the acquisition learning process, an acute MES increased reference memory errors but not working memory errors. In addition, it increased GABA levels in the hippocampus. On the other hand, chronic transauricular kindled seizures increased both working and reference memory errors in retrieval memory process, and this lasted for at least 3 weeks. Chronic transauricular kindled seizures