Article date: 1990/4/6
PubMed ID: 2336202
Journal name: Neuroscience letters (ISSN: 0304-3940)
ABSTRACT
Involvement of the GABAergic nigro-collicular pathway in the control of audiogenic seizures was examined in genetically sensitive rats by studying the effects of bilateral injections into the substantia nigra of muscimol, a gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist, and those of bilateral injections into the superior colliculus of picrotoxin, a GABA antagonist, and of muscimol. Microinjections of muscimol (20-80 ng/side) into the substantia nigra and microinjections into the superior colliculus of picrotoxin (20 and 40 ng/side) both failed to suppress audiogenic seizures. Following injections into the superior colliculus, audiogenic seizures were in fact facilitated by picrotoxin and suppressed by muscimol. These results suggest that the nigro-collicular GABAergic pathway is not involved in the inhibitory control over audiogenic seizures. Conversely, a different GABAergic mechanisms may be involved in the superior colliculus in the control of this form of epilepsy.
Author List: Depaulis A, Marescaux C, Liu Z, Vergnes M
Publication Types: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Substances mentioned in the article: Picrotoxin; Muscimol;
Mesh terms: Acoustic Stimulation; Animals; Male; Microinjections; Muscimol/pharmacology; Neural Pathways/drug effects; Picrotoxin/pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Seizures/physiopathology; Substantia Nigra/drug effects; Superior Colliculi/drug effects;