[Responses of neurons and astrocytes in rat hippocampus to kainic acid-induced seizures].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the time course of the responses of neurons and astrocytes in rat hippocampus (HI) to kainic acid (KA)-induced seizures in various regions.


METHODS
By means immunohistochemical staining for anti-Fos protein and anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), the regional distribution of reactive neurons and astrocytes in the HI was observed at different time points after a unilateral stereotaxic microinjection of KA into the lateral ventricle of rats to cause limbic and generalized convulsive seizures.


RESULTS
The injection of KA triggered limbic motor seizures including immobilization, staring, facial and jaw clonus ect. followed by recurrent generalized convulsive seizures. After KA-induced seizures, the GFAP-positive astrocytes and Fos-positive neurons were markedly increased in the HI. The increase of GFAP immunoreactivity was observed 30 min after the seizure onset, reaching the maximum at 1 h; the increase of Fos immunoreactivity was detected at 1 h after the onset, peaking at 2 h.


CONCLUSIONS
The neurons and astrocytes in rat HI are highly active during seizures and the reactive astrocytes might play an important role in epileptogenesis.
Liu
Zhi-liang
ZL
Institute of Neurosciences of PLA and Department of Neurosurgery, Zhujiang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China. zl-liu@163.net
Xu
Ru-xiang
RX
Yang
Zhi-jun
ZJ
Dai
Yi-wu
YW
Luo
Cheng-yi
CY
Du
Mou-xuan
MX
Zou
Yu-xi
YX
Jiang
Xiao-dan
XD
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007608:Kainic Acid; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D007608:Kainic Acid