The effect of seizures and kindling on reproductive hormones in the rat

Reproductive dysfunction and endocrine disorders are common among both wome n and men with epilepsy, and, in particular, with temporal lobe epilepsy. I n clinical studies, it is hard to separate the effects of seizures from the effects of medication and life style. Studies in rodents, however, suggest that seizures per se can contribute to reproductive dysfunction. In female rats, generalized seizures disrupt normal ovarian cyclicity in adults, and repeated electroshock seizures delay the onset of puberty in juveniles. Ri ght amygdala kindling in adult female rats causes acyclicity, the developme nt of polycystic ovaries and premature aging of the hypothalamic pituitary neuroendocrine axis, leading to chronic anovulation and continuous estrogen exposure. In adult male rats, repeated electroshock seizures result in tra nsient hypogonadism, characterized by decreased serum testosterone levels a nd lowered gonadal tissue weight. In contrast, right amygdala kindling incr eases serum testosterone, estradiol levels and gonadal weight. These findin gs suggest that reproductive dysfunction in women and men with epilepsy may result from recurrent seizure activity, due to seizure-related interferenc e with the normal functions of the hypothalamic pituitary-gonadal axis. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.