Severity of Kainic Acid-Induced Seizures is not Aggravated in the Maternal Immune Activation Mouse Model of Gestational Poly (I:C) Exposure - Abstract
Epilepsy is a common complication of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Clinical studies have estimated that the rate of epilepsy in ASD patients is approximately 30%. To examine the cellular and molecular links between ASD and epilepsy, proper animal models are necessary. Here, we investigated whether seizure severity is increased in the poly (I:C) model, a mouse model of maternal immune activation (MIA). MIA is a risk factor for ASD in offspring, and ASD-like features, including deficits in social interactions, have been observed in the mouse poly (I:C) model. The poly (I:C) mice
were administered kainic acid (KA) at postnatal day 15 (P15) and P30 to induce limbic seizures. We found that there was no difference in seizure severity between poly (I:C) and control mice at P15 and 30. Further, immunohistochemical analysis at P15 revealed that the density of excitatory and inhibitory synapses was largely unchanged in the hippocampus of poly (I:C) mice, except for an increase in inhibitory synapses in CA1. Thus, our results indicate that KA-induced seizure severity is not increased in poly (I:C) mice and that the structural synapse E/I balance in the hippocampus is not largely impaired.