Effect of postnatal anoxia on seizure susceptibility in rats: bicuculline-induced seizures and pretreatment with iproniazid

The effects of anoxia at 10 days of age on seizures induced by bicuculline (BIC), a specific antagonist of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and BIC-induced seizures after pretreatment with iproniazid (IPR), a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, were investigated in male adult rats. The rats with postnatal anoxia (Group A) were significantly more susceptible to BIC than the control rats (Group C). On the other hand, BIC-induced seizures in both groups were suppressed by IPR pretreatment. Especially, the suppression of BIC-induced seizures which was made by pretreatment with IPR at small doses was more apparent in Group A as compared with Group C. The present study suggests that the enhanced seizure susceptibility of adult rats with postnatal anoxia involves brain monoaminergic system.