[Involvement of glutamatergic system of amygdala in generalized seizures induced by soman: comparison with the hippocampus].

During seizures induced by soman, an organophosphorus compound, irreversible inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, the intra-amygdaloid microdialysis of extracellular glutamate, an excitatory amino-acid, showed a sustained increase, more rapid than in hippocampus. This result suggests an early involvement of the amygdala in the development of soman-induced seizures. Moreover, the ex vivo, study by quantitative autoradiography of the binding of tritiated TCP (thienyl-phencyclidine) does not reveal an opening of ionic channels linked to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) sensitive receptors of glutamate, during seizures, unlike in the hippocampus. This difference could indicate, according to other experimental models, that in amygdala the release of glutamate could occur massively without repeated stimuli as in the hippocampus.