Reduction of Duration and Severity of Megimide Seizures in Rats on a Folic Acid Deficient Diet

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Abstract
After the 1st megimide seizures some animals died. Three animals of the FA [folic acid] deficient group died after the 1st seizure, 2 after the 3rd, and 1 after the 10th seizure. In the control group 6 animals died after the 1st seizure. In the FA deficient group all animals showed signs of deficiency. Their hair was coarse and fell out after 3 mo. Some animals became completely hairless. Their behavior was normal. Mean duration of seizures 7-11 in the control group is longer than in the FA deficient group (0.01 < P < 0.025). Mean durations of these seizures do not show significant difference per group. This indicates that mean seizure duration in both groups is not dependent on seizures 7-11. For animals that survived 11 seizures, mean duration of seizures during the diet (seizures 2-11) apparently was smaller in the FA deficient group than in the control group (Student''s t-test; P = 0.05). Although there is a tendency for seizures of the FA deficient group to be shorter than those of the control group, this is not significant. Folate levels are very low in the FA deficient group. Mean duration of seizures 7-11 per animal in the FA deficient group was significantly lower than in control animals (0.025 < P < 0.05). This difference was not found between means of the 1st 5 seizures and between the duration of the 12th seizure in both groups. No correlation could be demonstrated between brain folate levels and seizure duration in each group. In the FA deficient group, number of clonic seizures was higher and that of the tonic-clonic seizures is lower than in the control group (P < 0.01). Number of tonic-clonic seizures with tonic posture of the forelimbs only is higher in the control group than in the FA deficient group (P < 0.01), while number of tonic-clonic seizures with tonic posture of fore- and hind limbs is not different.