The role of vasopressin, somatostatin and GABA in febrile convulsion in rat pups.
In order to further elucidate a possible role of neuropeptides and GABA in the pathogenesis of febrile convulsions, we studied changes of immunoreactive-arginine vasopressin (IR-AVP), IR-somatostatin (IR-SRIF) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the rat brain after febrile convulsions induced by ultra-red light (UR). Male Wistar rats at 16 days of age irradiated with UR developed generalized convulsions after 4.9 +/- 0.5 min irradiation. Six rats were killed by microwave irradiation 3 min after UR irradiation prior to convulsion development, and 29 rats were killed either 0 min, 2 h, 6 h, 24 h or 48 h after febrile convulsions. Non-irradiated rats served as controls. The rat brain was dissected into 4 regions; amygdala, hypothalamus, cortex and hippocampus, and subjected to radioimmunoassays. IR-AVP levels in hypothalamus were increased 3 min after UR and decreased at 2 h and 6 h after the convulsions. IR-SRIF levels were increased in cortex and hippocampus at 3 min after UR and 0 min after the convulsions. The GABA content increased in all regions tested at 2 h and 6 h after the convulsions. These results suggest that AVP, SRIF and GABA may be involved in the pathogenesis of febrile convulsions in different ways.
Nagaki
S
S
Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
Nagaki
S
S
Minatogawa
Y
Y
Sadamatsu
M
M
Kato
N
N
Osawa
M
M
Fukuyama
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000502:physiology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000502:physiology*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology*
D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D013004:Somatostatin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid