title: A single episode of neonatal seizures alters the cerebellum of immature rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to test whether a single episode of early-life seizures may interfere with the development of the cerebellum. The cerebellum is particularly vulnerable in infants, since it is characterized by an important postnatal histogenesis that leads to the settling of adult circuitry.
  
  
  METHODS
  seizures were induced in 10-day-old Wistar rats with a single convulsive dose (80μg/g b.w., s.c.) of pentylentetrazole (PTZ). Immediately after rats were treated with (3)H-thymidine ((3)HTdR, 2.5μCi/g b.w, s.c.). Rats were killed 4h later and paraffin sections of the cerebellar vermis were processed for (3)HTdR autoradiography and immunocytochemistry for 2/3 subunits of AMPA glutamate receptor (GluR2/3), glutamate transporter 1 (GLT1) and calbindin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  seizures reduced the proliferation rate of cells in the external germinal layer. Purkinje cells showed increased GluR2/3 immunoreactivity. However, some Purkinje cells were unstained or lost. Increased GLT1 immunoreactivity was present in glial cells surrounding Purkinje cells. Calbindin immunoreaction confirmed that some Purkinje cells were missed. The remaining Purkinje cells showed large spheroids along the course of their axon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  data indicate that seizures lead to a loss and alteration of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum of immature rats. Since at 10 days of life Purkinje cells are no more proliferating, the loss of Purkinje cells should be permanent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Laboratory of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Selene
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lomoio
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Necchi
authors.forename: Vladislav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mares
authors.forename: Elda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scherini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001345:Autoradiography; D064026:Calbindins; D002452:Cell Count; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D027342:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects*; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000633:toxicity*; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000378:metabolism; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology*; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D014316:Tritium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D064026:Calbindins; D027342:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; C104723:glutamate receptor ionotropic, AMPA 3; D014316:Tritium; C104722:glutamate receptor ionotropic, AMPA 2; D013936:Thymidine; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole