Seizures during pregnancy modify the development of hippocampal interneurons of the offspring.
We investigated the effect of epileptic seizures during pregnancy on hippocampal expression of calcium-binding proteins in the offspring. Female Wistar rats were submitted to the pilocarpine model and mated during the chronic period. Seizure frequency was monitored over the entire pregnancy. Pups were perfused at postnatal days 6 and 13, and the brains processed for Nissl staining and immunohistochemistry for NeuN, calbindin, calretinin, and parvalbumin. Number of stained cells in the hippocampus was estimated through stereological methods. Our results showed a decrease in epileptic seizure frequency during pregnancy. No differences were observed in NeuN-positive, CR-positive cells, and Nissl-stained hippocampal neurons between the groups. However, there was a significant decrease in calbindin-positive cells (P=0.005) and a significant increase in parvalbumin-positive cells (P=0.02) in the experimental group when compared with the control group. These results suggest that seizures during pregnancy affect the development of specific hippocampal interneurons of the offspring.
do Vale
Tiago Gurgel
TG
Disciplina de Neurologia Experimental, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil.
da Silva
Alexandre Valotta
AV
Lima
Daiana Correia
DC
de Lima
Eliângela
E
Torres
Laila Brito
LB
Cossa
Ana Carolina
AC
de Oliveira
Elaine Menezes
EM
Cabral
Francisco Romero
FR
Cavalheiro
Esper Abrão
EA
Naffah-Mazzacoratti
Maria da Graça
Mda G
Amado
Débora
D
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000473:pathology*; D007395:Interneurons / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D010862:Pilocarpine; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D010862:Pilocarpine; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase