Parvalbumin immunoreactivity and protein content alter in the hippocampus after adrenalectomy in seizure sensitive gerbils.
OBJECTIVE
Neurons containing parvalbumin (PV), a calcium-binding protein, in the hippocampus, play an important role in hippocampal excitability in epilepsy. In this study, we examined temporal and spatial changes of PV immunoreactivity and protein content in the hippocampus after adrenalectomy (ADX) in seizure sensitive (SS) gerbils, which are hereditarily seizure-prone.


METHODS
PV distribution and change in SS gerbils after ADX were examined in the hippocampal CA1 region and in the dentate gyrus (DG) using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis.


RESULTS
PV immunoreactivity in sham-operated SS gerbils was detected in many CA1 pyramidal cells. Three hours after ADX, PV immunoreactivity significantly decreased in CA1 pyramidal cells and thereafter PV immunoreactivity began to increase by 4 days after ADX. Four days after ADX, PV immunoreactivity was significantly higher than that in the sham-operated SS gerbils. In the DG of sham-operated SS gerbils, PV immunoreactivity was mainly detected in polymorphic cells. Three hours after ADX, PV immunoreactivity in the DG significantly decreased in the polymorphic layer. Thereafter, PV-immunoreactive neurons decreased with time after ADX. Western blot analysis showed that change in PV protein content was similar to immunohistochemical data after ADX in SS gerbils.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that PV is changed in hippocampus after ADX and PV may be associated with the regulation of seizure activity.
Hwang
InKoo
I
Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chunchon 200-702, Korea.
Kim
Dong-Woo
DW
Yoo
Ki-Yeon
KY
Kang
Tae-Cheon
TC
Kim
YoungSub
Y
Kwon
DaeYoung
D
Moon
Won-Kook
WK
Won
MooHo
M
D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012640:Seizures / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors
D010320:Parvalbumins