title: Neocortical c-fos mRNA transcription in repeated, brief, acute seizures: is c-fos a coincidence detector?
abstract: The effect of acute brief seizures on neocortical c-fos expression was investigated in rats injected with 5 mg/kg 4-aminopyridine. Electroencephalography in freely moving animals with implanted neocortical electrodes detected an average of 2.67 tonic-clonic convulsions within 1 h following the 4-AP treatment. Tissue samples of the somatosensory neocortex were collected at 30 min, 1 h, 3 h, 5 h and 8 h following the treatment for PCR and immunohistochemistry. The c-fos mRNA displayed the first significant rise at 1 h, and remained significantly higher through 3 h. The number of c-fos protein immunoreactive cells was significantly elevated already at 30 min, peaked at 1 h, and declined by 5 h. We conclude that in repetitive, brief seizures, the first convulsion does not increase c-fos RNA transcription, whilst the second causes a long-lasting gene expression and a large increase of c-fos protein synthesis. The phenomenon may have implications in the pathogenesis of human and animal epilepsies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary. mihaly@anatomy.szote.u-szeged.hu
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mihály
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borbély
authors.forename: Ildikó
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Világi
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Détári
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weiczner
authors.forename: Zsolt
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zádor
authors.forename: Beáta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krisztin-Péva
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bagosi
authors.forename: Zsolt
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kopniczky
authors.forename: Erno
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zádor
mesh_terms: D015761:4-Aminopyridine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004594:Electrophysiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D019579:Neocortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015761:4-Aminopyridine