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<abstract xmlns="http://eprints.org/ep2/data/2.0">Krushinskii—Molodkina rats are genetically predisposed&#13;
to the development of seizure activity in&#13;
response to acoustic stimulation. These animals are&#13;
a natural model to study the mechanisms of hereditary&#13;
and audiogenic epilepsy. The main cause of&#13;
these disorders is a deficiency of GABAergic transmission&#13;
[3-5]. Biochemical and electrophysiological&#13;
studies showed that this deficiency accompanies&#13;
the increase in excitation transmission and is most&#13;
pronounced in auditory structures, particularly in&#13;
the relay structure (inferior colliculi of the quadrigeminal&#13;
plate) [4-6]. The number of basket and&#13;
GABA-containing neurons is maximum in this structure.&#13;
The presence of a considerable number of&#13;
these cells should contribute to the formation of the&#13;
epileptic focus [5,7]. It was hypothesized that rats&#13;
with genetic predisposition to audiogenic seizures&#13;
differ from healthy animals in the structure of&#13;
GABAAergic receptors in auditory structures [5,6].&#13;
It remains unknown whether seizure activity induced&#13;
by epileptogenic acoustic stimulation can&#13;
cause structural changes in auditory brain structures&#13;
of these rats.&#13;
Neuronal death is a typical morphological sign&#13;
of various forms of epilepsy. Quantitative analysis&#13;
of main cells (interneurons and GABA-containing&#13;
cells) in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculi&#13;
and anterior and posterior regions of the auditory&#13;
cortex in Krushinskii—Molodkin rats was performed&#13;
1 month after audiogenic epileptic activity&#13;
induced by acoustic stimulation.</abstract>
