Peculiarities of development of rat's audiogenic convulsive responses in the period of gestation

In rats, with genetically determined audiogenic epileptic seizure some peculiarities of convulsive responses before and during gestation as well as after the delivery were studied. Depending on responses to audio stimuli the rats of Krushinsky-Molodkina line might be divided on two groups. The responses of first group are: fear and facial muscles clonus; the responses of other group--fear, wild running and then development of clonic and tonic seizures. The rats of this (second) group were used in our experiments. In the period of gestation: (a) extended latency of development of convulsive activity; (b) significant prolongation of the intervals between wild running and (c) marked reduction of behavioral manifestation of clonic and tonic seizures have been observed. These indicate the strengthening of inhibitory processes in the brain. It is supposed that in the period of gestation in rats with genetically determined to development of audiogenic seizures excess of sexual hormones causes the gaining of anticonvulsive processes in the brain. Evidently, this should be connected with GABA-ergic inhibitory mechanisms of the brain.