• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.172-175
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• 1991

Abnormality in the central noradrenergic system may be related to the seizure prone state in the genetically epilepsy prone rats (GEPR). The present work deals with the characterization of the deficit in noradrenergic system if susceptitibility and intensity of seizure are dependent on central noradrenregic activities by comparing the activities of dopamine $\beta$-hydroxylase (DBH) which hydroxylates dopamine into noradrenaline. DBH activities were measured in 5 areas of brain of normal rats, native GEPR and severe GEPR. The results suggest that lower DBH activities in the midbrain of GEPRs may positively be coupled to the susceptibility to seizure, whereas the same characteristics of the native or severe GEPR are not neccessarily in parallel with the intensity of seizure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1993.04a
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• pp.54-54
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• 1993

Two strains of genetically epilepsy-prone rats (GEPRs) have been derived from Sprague Dawley stock. One strain, known by the acronym GEPR-9, has a more pronounced epileptic condition than the other strain, known by the acronym GEPR-3. Only a small fraction of commercially available Sprague Dawley rats exhibits evidence of epilepsy. GEPRS are similar to most humans with epilepsy in that their general behaviors appear normal . GEPRS also share other traits with their non-epileptic counterparts. They are susceptible to forebrain and brainstem seizures produced by convulsant drugs and electrical currents. Because GEPRs and normal rats share these seizure non-epileptic brain rather than to an understanding of epilepsy. However, humans wi th epilepsy, the GEPR and other mammal inn models of genetic epilepsy are distinctive because they are characterized by seizure predisposition.