Behavioral and electroencephalographic analysis of seizures induced by intrahippocampal injection of granulitoxin, a neurotoxic peptide from the sea anemone Bunodosoma granulifera

In this study, the behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) analysis of seizures induced by the intrahippocampal injection in rats of granulitoxin , a neurotoxic peptide from the sea anemone Bunodosoma granulifera, was det ermined. The first alterations occurred during microinjection of granulitox in (8 mug) into the dorsal hippocampus and consisted of seizure activity th at began in the hippocampus and spread rapidly to the occipital cortex. Thi s activity lasted 20-30 s, and during this period the rats presented immobi lity. During the first 40-50 min after its administration, three to four ot her similar short EEG seizure periods occurred and the rats presented the f ollowing behavioral alterations: akinesia, facial automatisms, head tremor, salivation, rearing, jumping, barrel-rolling, wet dog shakes and forelimb clonic movements. Within 40-50 min, the status epilepticus was established and lasted 8-12 h. These results are similar to those observed in the acute phase of the pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy and suggest that granulitoxin may be a useful tool not only to study the sodium channels, bu t also to develop a new experimental model of status epilepticus.