THE ROLE OF VASOPRESSIN, SOMATOSTATIN AND GABA IN FEBRILE CONCLUSION IN RAT PUPS

In order to further elucidate a possible role of neuropeptides and GAB A in the pathogenesis of febrile convulsions, we studied changes of im munoreactive-arginine vasopressin (IR-AVP), IR-somatostatin (IR-SRIF) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the rat brain after febrile conv ulsions induced by ultra-red light (UR). Male Wistar rats at 16 days o f age irradiated with UR developed generalized convulsions after 4.9 /- 0.5 min irradiation. Six rats were killed by microwave irradiation 3 min after UR irradiation prior to convulsion development, and 29 rat s were killed either 0 min, 2 h, 6 h, 24 h or 48 h after febrile convu lsions. Non-irradiated rats served as controls. The rat brain was diss ected into 4 regions; amygdala, hypothalamus, cortex and hippocampus, and subjected to radioimmunoassays. IR-AVP levels in hypothalamus were increased 3 min after UR and decreased at 2 h and 6 h after the convu lsions. IR-SRIF levels were increased in cortex and hippocampus at 3 m in after UR and 0 min after the convulsions. The GABA content increase d in all regions tested at 2 h and 6 h after the convulsions. These re sults suggest that AVP, SRIF and GABA may be involved in the pathogene sis of febrile convulsions in different ways.