Anticonvulsive treatment of myelin-deficient (mld) mice improves survival and confirms the delayed increase of myelin basic protein

Abstract
Myelin-deficient (mld) mutant mice were treated with phenobarbital between 60 and 90 d of age. The survival rate at 90 d increased from 1.4% in untreated mutants to 46% in those who received phenobarbital. This is evidence that apneic spells during tonic seizures are a major cause of death inmld mice. Myelin basic protein (MBP) content of brain homogenates from teatedmld mice increased significantly between 30 and 90 d. MBP was present in myelin purified from the 90-d-old treatedmld mice. These results demonstrate that the MBP increase, which occurs after the active phase of myelin formation is completed, is a general phenomenon and is not caused by the selection of a small and mildly affected subpopulation of mutants.

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