The effect of pentylenetetrazole-kindling on the extracellular glutamate and taurine levels in the frontal cortex of rats

We studied the extracellular concentration of glutamate and taurine in the frontal cortex of freely-moving pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) kindled rats using an in vivo microdialysis. A significant and sustained increase in the glutamate level was observed in the kindled rats, in contrast, a slight and delayed increase was observed in the non-kindled rats when the same grade seizure was induced by PTZ. The convulsive dose of PTZ administration caused a decrease in taurine levels in the controls, however, no significant changes were found in the kindled rats.