Effect of acute and chronic photoperiod modulation on pentylenetetrazole-induced clonic seizure threshold in mice.

Changes in circadian rhythms have been shown to alter seizure susceptibility and anticonvulsant properties of drugs. The present study attempts to elucidate the effect of acute and chronic light/dark (LD) cycle alterations on pentylenetetrazol-induced clonic seizure threshold (CST) in male NMRI mice. The acute effect was tested by comparing the effects of abrupt 6-h phase shifts that resulted in 6-h and 18-h photoperiods, during the 24-h period before CST determination, with the controls that were maintained on 12h/12h LD cycle. In order to test the effect of chronic LD cycle alteration on CST, three groups of mice were maintained on 12h/12h, 6h/18h and 18h/6h LD cycles for 2 weeks prior to CST testing. The effect of administration of exogenous melatonin (5, 10 and 20mg/kg, i.p.) was also assessed on LD cycle related changes of CST. The results indicate that acute photoperiod change from 12h/12h to 18h/6h LD cycle lowers CST, while keeping animals under shorter photoperiod does not produce a significant effect. The pro-convulsant effect of acute increase in light period is reversed by a single injection of melatonin (10 and 20mg/kg). Animals chronically maintained on both shorter and longer photoperiods show a significant decrease in CST compared to animals under 12h/12h LD cycle. However, in both groups chronic administration of melatonin (20mg/kg) reversed the effect of LD cycle alteration on CST. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that acute increase and chronic modulation of the photoperiod increase seizure susceptibility in mice. Moreover, the pro-convulsant effect of LD cycle alteration could be reversed by exogenous melatonin administration.