Quisqualic acid-induced hippocampal seizures in unanesthetized cats.

An intrahippocampal injection of quisqualic acid (QA) was made in chronically implanted freely moving unanesthetized cats and electrographic and clinical observations were made. Fourteen to 40 micrograms of QA injection resulted in a mild limbic seizure within 24 h after QA injection. Some cats demonstrated a pure hippocampal seizure on an electroencephalogram. Electrographic changes and clinical manifestations were less prominent as compared with those of kainic acid. Histopathological examination showed a selective loss of pyramidal cell layer of the CA3 portion in the injected side of the dorsal hippocampus. A mild but constant epileptogenic potency of QA has an advantage for an experimental model of temporal lobe epilepsy in man.