title: ERK1/2 activation in reactive astrocytes of mice with pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the activation pattern of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in the hippocampus of mice during pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) and its relationship with reactive astrogliosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Status epilepticus (SE) models were established by intraperitoneal injection of pilocarpine. The intervention group received the ERK1/2 signaling pathway inhibitor SL327 before the pilocarpine injection. We evaluated the SE model group, the intervention group and the control saline-treated group, at 6 hours and 3 days after initiation of the seizure. Phosphorylated activated ERK1/2 and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were labeled with both single-labeling and sequential single-labeling immunohistochemical techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the pilocarpine-treated (SE model) mice, strong immunohistochemical staining of phospho-ERK1/2 was observed in the neurons and astrocytes of the hippocampus at 6 hours after initiation of SE, whereas staining on the third day of SE was not different from the control saline-treated mice. In the SL327-treated mice (intervention group), SL327 effectively blocked the ERK1/2 activation and little gliosis could be detected at 6 hours and 3 days after initiation of SE; the levels of phospho-ERK1/2 remained low, but the level of gliosis was similar to that of SE mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ERK1/2 signaling pathway plays an important role in the early stage of reactive astrogliosis in mice with pilocarpine-induced SE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Linjiang Road 76, Chongqing 400010, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zu-Cai
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yang-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005911:Gliosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D010862:Pilocarpine; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3