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Cytokines and Absence Seizures in a Genetic Rat Model

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Neurophysiology Aims and scope

We investigated the role of two cytokines, IL-1β and TNF-α, in the development of absence seizures using a genetic model of absence epilepsy in WAG/Rij rats. We administered these cytokines to animals systemically and measured the number of spike-wave discharges (SWDs) in the EEG. We also coadministered IL-1β with the GABA reuptake inhibitor tiagabine and measured the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in the brain and blood plasma of 2-, 4-, and 6-month-old WAG/Rij rats and animals that served as a non-epileptic control (ACI). We found that IL-1β induced a significant increase in SWDs 2-5 h after administration, while TNF-α enhanced SWDs much later. Both cytokines enhanced passive behavior; body temperature was elevated only after TNF-α. The action of tiagabine was potentiated by earlier IL-1β injection, even when IL-1β was no longer active. Young WAG/Rij rats showed higher levels of TNF-α in blood serum than young ACI rats; the effects in the brain tended to be opposite. The marked differences in timing of the increase in SWDs suggest different time scales for the action of both cytokines tested. It is proposed that the results found after TNF-α are due to the de novo synthesis of IL-1β. TNF-α may possess neuroprotective effects. IL-1β might increase GABA-ergic neurotransmission. The changes in the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs related to changes in the cytokine systems may have some clinical relevance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    G. van Luijtelaar, G. Verbeek, C. van Rijn & A. Coenen

  2. National Medical University, Odessa, Ukraine

    S. Lyashenko, R. Vastyanov, A. Oleinik, G. Volokhova, A. Shandra & L. Godlevsky

Authors
  1. G. van Luijtelaar
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  2. S. Lyashenko
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  3. R. Vastyanov
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  4. G. Verbeek
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  5. A. Oleinik
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  6. C. van Rijn
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  7. G. Volokhova
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  8. A. Shandra
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  9. A. Coenen
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  10. L. Godlevsky
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. van Luijtelaar.

Additional information

Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 43, No. 6, pp. 554-563, November-December, 2011.

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van Luijtelaar, G., Lyashenko, S., Vastyanov, R. et al. Cytokines and Absence Seizures in a Genetic Rat Model. Neurophysiology 43, 478–486 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11062-012-9252-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11062-012-9252-6

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