Differential prostaglandin formation induced by convulsions in the brain of mice susceptible (DBA/2J) and resistant (CFLP) to acoustic stimulation

Endogenous cerebral prostanoids possess anticonvulsant properties. This study investigates possible age-dependent anomalies of prostanoid synthesis in the brain of seizure-prone DBA/2J (DBA2) mice as compared to sound stimulus-resistant CFLP mice. Irrespective of the age of the animals, a large increase of prostaglandin (PG) D 2 and E 2 in the brain of CFLP mice was observed in response to pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-, or electroshock (ES)-induced seizures. Significantly less PGD 2 and PGE 2 was formed in the brain of DBA2 mice at day 21 after birth when subjected to PTZ or ES convulsions. At 42 days of age, however, this deficit of cerebral PGD 2 synthesis in DBA2 mice diappeared concomitantly with the age-related decrease in audiogenic seizure (AS) susceptibility, whereas the deficit of PGE 2 formation persisted. These results suggest that a deficiency of cerebral PGD 2 synthesis may be one of the factors responsible for the AS susceptibility of the DBA2 mice. In contrast to PTZ or ES convulsion, acoustically induced seizure of the DBA2 mice were not accompanied by cerebral prostanoid synthesis. This supports the view that the pathways involved in AS are different from those involved in PTZ or ES models of epilepsy.