Correlation between extracellular glucose and seizure susceptibility in adult rats

Evan M. Schwechter, Jana Velíšková, Libor Velíšek

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

95 Scopus citations

Abstract

In adult diabetic patients, periods of hyperglycemia may be associated with exacerbation of focal seizures. Our objective was to determine in the adult rats the correlation between seizure susceptibility and extracellular glucose concentration in two models of seizures. Male rats were injected with two doses of streptozocin (40mg/kg IP) on 2 consecutive days to induce diabetic hyperglycemia. Controls either received vehicle or were not injected. After 2 weeks, blood glucose concentration was measured, and the rats were subjected to flurothyl seizure test. Another group of rats received glucose solution (20%, 5ml IP) 30 minutes before testing to induce nondiabetic hyperglycemia. Thresholds for flurothyl-induced clonic and tonic-clonic seizures were determined. Finally, in vitro epileptiform activity was induced in the entorhinal cortex-hippocampal slices from naive rats by perfusing with magnesium-free medium with various glucose concentrations. In additional slices, paired-pulse paradigm was determined in the perforant path. Susceptibility to clonic and tonic-clonic flurothyl-induced seizures positively correlated with blood glucose concentrations as the increased glucose concentration was associated with proconvulsant effects. Similarly, in the in vitro experiments, epileptiform activity was promoted by increased and suppressed by decreased glucose concentrations. Data indicate that, in the adult rats, high glucose concentrations are associated with proconvulsant effects.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)91-101
Number of pages11
JournalAnnals of Neurology
Volume53
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2003

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neurology
  • Clinical Neurology

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