EFFECTS OF AN EVERY OTHER DAY RAPID KINDLING PROCEDURE IN PRENATALLY PROTEIN MALNOURISHED RATS

Prenatally protein malnourished (6/25) rats have been reported to requ ire significantly more stimulations to attain a stage 5 seizure than w ell-nourished controls (25/25) when using either a traditional or rapi d every day, kindling procedure. In the present study, a rapid kindlin g procedure was utilized where both prenatally malnourished and contro l rats received every other day perforant path kindling (50 Hz, 10 s t rain) 12 times a day at 5-min intervals. Using this procedure, stage 5 seizures and a fully kindled state were attained in both nutritional groups at approximately the same rate. It is postulated that it is the every other day component of the present procedure which overcomes se izure-induced inhibition in the 6/25 subjects, thereby allowing them t o attain stage 5 seizures at the same rate as controls.