Behavioural and electrophysiological features of WAG/Rij rats with different forms of genetic epilepsy

WAG/Rij rats are widely used as a genetic model of absence epilepsy. Approximately 15–50% rats of the strain are susceptible to audiogenic seizures. WAG/Rij rats demonstrate depressive-like behavior. After preliminary sound provocation an increased level of anxiety was found in audiogenic susceptible WAG/Rij subgroup. Electrophysiological and behavioral studies suggest the involvement of the dopaminergic system in both absence and audiogenic epilepsy. An increased binding density to dopamine receptors was found in the dorsal striatum subregions in audiogenic prone rats compared to non-audiogenic. The study aims were (1) to determine whether behavioral changes in WAG/Rij rats were genetically determined or induced by prior sound stimulation; (2) how regions of the dorsal striatum with different density of dopamine receptors in subpopulations of WAG/Rij rats are involved in the absence epilepsy control. The study was conducted using two rat groups: WAG/Rij-nonAGS (absence epilepsy) and WAG/Rij-AGS (mixed epilepsy). The study was performed using tests: “Elevated plus maze”, “Forced swimming” and “Three chamber sociability test”. High-frequency deep brain stimulation was performed for evaluation of dorsal striatum involvement in the absence seizure control. After experiments animals were tested for the susceptibility to audiogenic seizures. It demonstrated that the increased level of anxiety in WAG/Rij-AGS rats is genetically determined, while depressive-like behavior in WAG/Rij rats is not dependent on a predisposition to audiogenic seizures. Deviations in social behavior were observed in WAG/Rij-AGS rats. Stimulation of the dorsal striatum indicates differences in the control of absence and mixed forms of epilepsy in the