Habenula regulates cardiovascular activities in the insula cortex in a rat model of epilepsy.
BACKGROUND
Epilepsy has a high mortality rate due to sudden death, which is poorly understood. However, recent research has indicated that it may be associated with fatal arrhythmia, which occurs commonly in insular epilepsy.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of the habenular nucleus on cardiovascular activities in a rat model of insular epilepsy.


METHODS
Adult rats (n = 32) were divided into four groups: Group A (normal control); Group B (insular epilepsy); Group C (habenular nuclei injury alone); and Group D (bilateral habenular nuclei injury one week prior to the insular epilepsy). A rat model of epilepsy was made in the right insula by microinjection of kainic acid (KA, 0.3 μL). Behavioral activities were observed according to Racine scales. The habenular nuclei were injured by direct current electric shock. Heart rate, blood pressure, and plasma norepinephrine were measured in the four groups under quite conditions or during seizure.


RESULTS
We found that the rats in Group B have significantly higher heart rate, blood pressure, and plasma norepinephrine than those in Group A or Group D during seizure; however, there was no difference in blood pressure, heart rate, or plasma norepinephrine between Groups A and C. Moreover, the rats in the Group D had a significant lower blood pressure when compared with those in the Group C; however, no difference was observed in the heart rate and norepinephrine during seizure.


CONCLUSIONS
The insula cortex has close association with cardiovascular activities in rats from our insula epilepsy model. The habenular nuclei can regulate cardiovascular activities during insular epilepsy.
Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, P. R. China.
Yudan
Y
Lv
Dihui
D
Ma
Hongmei
H
Meng
Cui
C
Li
Weihong
W
Lin
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019262:Habenula / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D007608:Kainic Acid; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D007608:Kainic Acid; D009638:Norepinephrine