STRAIN-DEPENDENT VARIABILITY IN NITROUS-OXIDE WITHDRAWAL SEIZURE FREQUENCY

Exposure to nitrous oxide produces handling induced convulsions follow ing withdrawal in mice. Since strain differences in responsiveness to the antinociceptive potency of N2O have been found, we examined whethe r there were differences in susceptibility to N2O withdrawal seizures. Significant differences were found between mouse strains, varying bet ween 100% and 0% of mice exhibiting withdrawal seizures. There was a l ack of correlation between the sensitivity of the mouse strains to N2O -induced analgesia and N2O withdrawal seizures, suggesting different m echanisms of action.