title: Pentylenetetrazol seizures increase pro-nerve growth factor-like immunoreactivity in the reticular thalamic nucleus and nerve growth factor mRNA in the dentate gyrus.
abstract: Neurotrophins may have a neuroprotective role and are probably involved in the control of axonal sprouting and synaptic plasticity. An antibody raised against a pro-sequence of nerve growth factor (NGF) was tested. In control undisturbed rats, a strong immunoreactivity was detected in scattered cells in and around the pyramidal and granule cell layer of the hippocampus and a moderate labeling was found in the reticular thalamic nucleus. In situ hybridization showed specific expression of NGF mRNA in a similar population of scattered cells in the hippocampal formation but not in the reticular thalamic nucleus. Acute epileptic seizures, induced by a convulsive dose of 50 mg/kg pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), strongly increased NGF mRNA in neurons of the granular layer of the dentate gyrus 3 hr but not 6 hr after the injection. No change in pro-NGF-like immunoreactivity was observed in the hippocampus or reticular thalamic nucleus after acute seizures. Chemical kindling was induced by daily injections of subconvulsive doses (30 mg/kg) of PTZ for 4 weeks. This treatment significantly increased pro-NGF-like immunoreactivity in the reticular thalamic nucleus but did not affect NGF mRNA. These data strengthen a role for the reticular thalamic nucleus and NGF in PTZ kindling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Neurobiology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Humpel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ebendal
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Olson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole