Evidence that ATP participates in the pathophysiology of pilocarpine-induced temporal lobe epilepsy: fluorimetric, immunohistochemical, and Western blot studies.
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to study the role of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the brain of pilocarpine-induced chronic epileptic rats.


METHODS
ATP-mediated changes in intracellular calcium were studied by the fura-2 method. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting methods were used to localize and quantify P2X7 receptors in these animals.


RESULTS
The fluorimetric study in chronic rats revealed a biphasic response indicating the presence of P2X7 receptors. The Western blotting study showed an increase of 80% of P2X7 expression in chronic rats compared with the control group. P2X7 immunoreactivity resembled mossy fiber sprouting at the dentate gyrus of epileptic animals.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that purinergic receptors may participate in the pathophysiology of temporal lobe epilepsy.
Disciplina de Neuroligia Experimental, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu 862, 04023-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
E P M
EP
Vianna
A T
AT
Ferreira
M G
MG
Naffah-Mazzacoratti
E R G
ER
Sanabria
M
M
Funke
E A
EA
Cavalheiro
M J S
MJ
Fernandes
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003292:Convulsants; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005470:Fluorometry; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010862:Pilocarpine; D051381:Rats; D018048:Receptors, Purinergic P2 / Q000378:metabolism; D058486:Receptors, Purinergic P2X7; D012016:Reference Values
D003292:Convulsants; D018048:Receptors, Purinergic P2; D058486:Receptors, Purinergic P2X7; D010862:Pilocarpine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate