AUDIOGENIC FITS PRODUCED BY MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY IN TAME DOMESTIC NORWAY RATS AND IN WILD NORWAY AND ALEXANDRINE RATS

Abstract

Domestic and wild Norway rats and wild Alex-andrine rats on a Mg-deficient and control diet were tested on alternate days with an air blast for susceptibility to audiogenic seizures. All the rats on the Mg-deficient diet had fits; while not one of the control animals had a fit. Domestic Norway rats fed the Mg-deficient diet began to have running fits in an avg. of 8 days (range 3-16); wild Norways in an avg. of 15 days (range 5-30); and wild Alexandrines in an avg. of 15 days (range 9-24). Mg-dencient domestic Nor-ways died usually during their first fit, and none survived more than 4 fits; wild Norways and Alexandrines had be-tween 6 and 19 fits, but none of them died during the entire test period of 50-55 days.