[Effect of maternal isolation stress on epilepsy susceptibility in young rats].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of maternal isolation stress on the epilepsy susceptibility in young rats and the possible mechanism.


METHODS
Sixty Sprague-Dawley young rats were randomly divided into a normal control and two maternal isolation groups that were subjected to maternal isolation for 15 min or 3 hrs daily on postnatal days 2-17. On postnatal day 18, an amygdala kindling test was performed to induce seizures. The expression of GABA(A) receptor α₁ in the hippocampus was determined by immunohistochemisty.


RESULTS
The weights were reduced, the threshold of amygdala kindling and the stimulation number for full kindling decreased significantly, and seizures were more severe in the maternal isolation 3 hrs group compared with the normal control group. The expression of GABA(A) receptor alpha(1) in the hippocampus CA1 area in the maternal isolation 3 hrs group decreased significantly compared with that in the normal groups. There were no significant differences in the aspects above mentioned between the maternal isolation 15 min and normal control groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The stress of early daily maternal isolation for 3 hrs may affect adversely brain development and increase epilepsy susceptibility in young rats. The decreased expression of GABA(A) receptor α₁ in the hippocampus may contribute to the potential mechanism.
Zhou
Hao
H
Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China.
Liu
Ye
Y
Liang
Jin-Ping
JP
Shao
Jian-Ling
JL
D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000032:analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*
D011963:Receptors, GABA-A