title: Changes of immunoreactive neuropeptide Y, somatostatin and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the brain of a novel epileptic mutant rat, Ihara's genetically epileptic rat (IGER).
abstract: Ihara's genetically epileptic rat (IGER) is a rat mutant with genetically scheduled spontaneous convulsions mimicking human limbic seizures. In the present study, the possible changes of three neuropeptides, neuropeptide Y (NPY), somatostatin (SRIF) and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), in the brains of IGER were investigated. Increased contents of immunoreactive (IR) NPY were found only in the hippocampus of 2-month IGERs before developing convulsive seizures, while similar increases of IR-NPY were discovered in the striatum and pyriform and entorhinal cortex as well as hippocampus in 8-month IGERs with repetitive seizures. There were no significant differences in the brain contents of IR-SRIF and IR-CRF between IGERs and the controls at both ages. These findings indicate an enhanced rate of NPY synthesis in this experimental model of epilepsy which may play a critical role in the development of epileptogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan. ytaka@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadamatsu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masui
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ihara
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D013004:Somatostatin; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone