AMYGDALAR INJECTION OF FECL3 CAUSES SPONTANEOUS RECURRENT SEIZURES

Rats were microinjected with a 100 mM aqueous solution of ferric chlor ide into the left amygdaloid body. Behavior was observed and depth ele ctroencephalograms were recorded over the 30 days following injection. All of the FeCl3-injected rats developed isolated epileptiform discha rges from the ipsilateral amygdala soon after injection. Within 5 days epileptiform discharges were arising as well from the contralateral a mygdala and behavioral seizures were observed. These spontaneous seizu res occurred in a pattern associated with stage 4 kindling, with reari ng and bilateral forelimb clonus. Seizures persisted during the 30 day s of the experiment. Recording from chronically implanted depth electr odes showed development of spike discharges, with recurrent seizures a rising from amygdalar regions with propagation into both hippocampi. A queous iron is known to initiate lipid peroxidation by free radical me chanisms. Our observations suggest that epileptogenesis followed by ch ronic, spontaneous seizures could be initiated by deposition of iron-c ontaining compounds into limbic structures of the rat. (C) 1998 Academ ic Press.