Hippocampal quinolinic acid concentrations in epileptogenesis in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To study the changes of hippocampal quinolinic acid (QA) concentrations during acute and chronic seizures induced by ip injection of kainic acid (KA, 12 mg kg-1) in rats.


METHODS
The extraction and measurement of QA in the hippocampus were performed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method.


RESULTS
When acute seizures were fully established 3 h after KA injection, no significant changes of hippocampal QA were found. During chronic seizures observed on d 30 after KA injection, there was even a 55 +/- 8% significant decrease. When neither acute nor chronic seizures were detectable but astroglial proliferation in the hippocampus and secondary neuronal degeneration in extrahippocampal regions became gradually prominent 2 d and 7 d after KA injection, there were 56 +/- 13% and 156 +/- 13% dramatic increases of hippocampal QA concentrations, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The increase of hippocampal QA hardly plays any key role in the initiation of KA-induced seizures but may contribute to astroglial proliferation and neuronal degeneration by activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors.
Guo
Q
Q
Department of Neurology, PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Kuang
P G
PG
D000818:Animals; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D007608:Kainic Acid; D008297:Male; D011805:Quinolinic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
D011805:Quinolinic Acids; D007608:Kainic Acid