Audiogenic seizures and cochlear damage in rats after perinatal antithyroid treatment.

The feeding of goitrogens during pregnancy and lactation causes the offspring of rats to be partially deaf and persistently sensitive to audiogenic seizures. The most potent goitrogen, propylthiouracil, caused severe dysfunction and disorganization of the organ of Corti. Adult seizure-susceptible rats showed increased sensitivity to audiogenic seizures when they were fed propylthiouracil.