Audiogenic and audiogenic-like seizures: Locus of induction and seizure severity determine postictal prolactin patterns

Abstract Audiogenic seizures (AS) are a model of generalized tonicclonic seizures, evoked by high-intensity (110 dB) acoustic stimulation evaluated by means of behavioral severity indexes (SI). Postictal prolactin (PRL) is a marker of generalized seizures, both in animals and humans. Thus, in the present work we assayed postictal PRL in a) male Wistar AS susceptible (S, n = 5) and AS resistant (R, n = 13) rats made susceptible by specific midbrain lesions, b) In rats electrically stimulated in the central nucleus (CN) of the inferior colliculus (IC) ( n = 20), or the cortical IC (CxIC, n = 18). In c) S rats pretreated with either bromocriptine (BRO; 4 mg/kg; SC), a PRL release inhibitor, or vehicle (V), 30 min before the electrical stimulation. Basal PRL was 2–10 ng/ml at time 0. In the S group, only animals with generalized seizures presented a postictal PRL elevation between 5 and 15 min (60–90 ng/ml; p p p