4 Aminopyridine Induced Epileptiform Activity / 대한소아신경학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The goal of the present study was to investigate the effects of 4-aminopyridine(4-AP) on the excitability of visual cortex, observe the induction of epileptiform activity and define the characteristics of spontaneous activity. METHODS: We divided 19 to 23-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats into 3 groups by the concentration of 4-AP5(n=10), 50(n=11), and 100(n=12) microM. The slices from their brains were incubated in artificial CSF for 1 hour, and then extracellular recordings were performed. RESULTS: Spontaneous epileptiform activities were observed in 50 and 100 microM 4-AP groups. The latencies of interictal epileptiform activity were 7.8+/-1.1 and 5.8+/-0.9 min, the frequencies 1.8+/-0.2 and 24.1+/-6.6 min-1, the amplitudes 0.7+/-0.1 and 2.8+/-0.5 mV, and the durations 238.0+/-57.8 and 242.2+/-70.0 ms in 50 and 100 microM 4-AP groups respectively. The latencies of ictal epileptiform activity were 21.0+/-9.8 and 6.7+/-2.3 min, the frequencies 116.2+/-46.7 and 193.7+/-26.4/event, the amplitudes 3.1+/-0.8 and 2.8+/-0.9 mV, and the durations 26.9+/-27.6, 35.2+/-12.6 s in 50 and 100 microM 4-AP groups respectively. CONCLUSION: 4-AP showed increased excitability in the visual cortex and induced interictal and ictal spontaneous epileptiform activity. This induction was decreased by D- AP5 or CNQX. Those results suggest that both types of inotropic excitatory amino acid receptors are overactivated and contribute to seizure initiation and propagation.