title: [Effects of nerve growth factor on neural cells in the epileptiform discharge region of the hippocampus in children with intractable epilepsy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the astrocytes and neurons in the epileptiform discharge region of the hippocampus in children with intractable epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acutely dissociated cells from the epileptiform discharge region of the hippocampus were exposed to blank control group and NGF treatment groups (NGF concentrations: 12.5, 50 and 100 ng/mL). Astrocytes and neurons were identified by bisbenzimide staining combined with the specific makers such as GFAP and MAP2. The total number of neural cells was counted under an inversion fluorescence microscope. The percentage of immunostaining positive cells was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 4 hrs of culture, the percentages of GFAP+ astrocytes and MAP2+ neurons in the NGF treatment groups were higher than those in the blank control group, and increased with increasing NGF concentration (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NGF may have protective effects on GFAP+ astrocytes and MAP2+ neurons in the injured hippocampus of children with epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Provincial Clinical Medical College Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, China.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Yan-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D019610:Cytoprotection; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; C489788:MAP2 protein, human; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor