title: Human intravenous immunoglobulins suppress seizure activities and inhibit the activation of GFAP-positive astrocytes in the hippocampus of picrotoxin-kindled rats.
abstract: We previously showed that human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) can lower seizure severity and prolong seizure latency in picrotoxin-kindled rats. The aim of this study was to further characterize the effects of IVIG on seizure activity and investigate its influence on astrocytes in the hippocampus of picrotoxin-kindled rats. A rat kindling model was established by peritoneal injections of picrotoxin for 21 days in Wistar rats. Seventy-five rats were equally divided into five groups: picrotoxin, IVIG pretreatment, IVIG post-treatment, normal saline control, and IVIG control. Seizure severity was evaluated according to a six-stage classification. The number and morphology of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes were studied by immunohistochemistry using the anti-GFAP antibody. The cross-sectional area and grayscale of GFAP-positive astrocytes were also determined. In picrotoxin-kindled rats, pretreatment with IVIG appeared to inhibit full kindling rates, and it significantly reduced the number of GFAP-positive cells in the hippocampus (p < .001). IVIG also significantly (p < .001) attenuated the increase in the cross-sectional area and grayscale of GFAP-positive astrocytes in the hippocampus. Our results suggest that by suppressing the expression of GFAP, IVIGs may reduce seizure activity and inhibit the activation of GFAP-positive astrocytes in picrotoxin-kindled rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Children's Neuro-endocrinology, Sun Yat-sen memorial hospital, Sun Yat-sen University,   Guangzhou,   China.
authors.forename: Dongfang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Pinggan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhanwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Danyang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cen
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Liyang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D056651:CA2 Region, Hippocampal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D003292:Convulsants; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D010852:Picrotoxin; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D003292:Convulsants; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D010852:Picrotoxin