Effect of different lithium priming schedule on pilocarpine-induced statusepilepticus in rats

The conventional method of inducing status epilepticus 24 h injecting piloc arpine 24 h after lithium chloride (LiCl) administration lacks kinetic corr elate. Therefore, the present study was conducted to see the effect of alte ring the time schedule of lithium administration (from 2 to 72 h) on the co nvulsive behavior in response to pilocarpine challenge in rats. It was obse rved that reducing the pretreatment time of lithium from 24 to 2 h produced convulsions in 100% of the rats. However, incidence of convulsions decreas ed when lithium pretreatment time was increased to 48 h and no convulsions were recorded with 72-h lithium time schedule. The neuronal damage assessed histologically and the effectiveness of diazepam was similar irrespective of time schedule. This study provides evidence that LiCl pretreatment sched ule can be adopted at any time between 2 to 24 h to suit the convenience an d objectives of the experiment. (C) 1999 Prous Science. All rights reserved .