The effect of PTZ-induced epileptic seizures on hippocampal expression of PSA-NCAM in offspring born to kindled rats.
BACKGROUND
Maternal epileptic seizures during pregnancy can affect the hippocampal neurons in the offspring. The polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM), which is expressed in the developing central nervous system, may play important roles in neuronal migration, synaptogenesis, and axonal outgrowth. This study was designed to assess the effects of kindling either with or without maternal seizures on hippocampal PSA-NCAM expression in rat offspring.


METHODS
Forty timed-pregnant Wistar rats were divided into four groups: A) Kind+/Seiz+, pregnant kindled (induced two weeks prior to pregnancy) rats that received repeated intraperitoneal (i.p.) pentylenetetrazol, PTZ injections on gestational days (GD) 14-19; B) Kind-/Seiz+, pregnant non-kindled rats that received PTZ injections on GD14-GD19; C) Kind+/Seiz-, pregnant kindled rats that did not receive any PTZ injections; and D) Kind-/Seiz-, the sham controls. Following birth, the pups were sacrificed on PD1 and PD14, and PSA-NCAM expression and localization in neonates' hippocampi were analyzed by Western blots and immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Our data show a significant down regulation of hippocampal PSA-NCAM expression in the offspring of Kind+/Seiz+ (p = 0.001) and Kind-/Seiz+ (p = 0.001) groups compared to the sham control group. The PSA-NCAM immunoreactivity was markedly decreased in all parts of the hippocampus, especially in the CA3 region, in Kind+/Seiz+ (p = 0.007) and Kind-/Seiz+ (p = 0.007) group's newborns on both PD1 and 14.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings demonstrate that maternal seizures but not kindling influence the expression of PSA-NCAM in the offspring's hippocampi, which may be considered as a factor for learning/memory and cognitive impairments reported in children born to epileptic mothers.
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Mashhad, Iran.
Aliakbar
A
Rajabzadeh
Alireza Ebrahimzadeh
AE
Bideskan
Alireza
A
Fazel
Mojtaba
M
Sankian
Houshang
H
Rafatpanah
Hossein
H
Haghir
D000818:Animals; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D039842:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000633:toxicity; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*
D039842:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1; D012794:Sialic Acids; C103469:polysialyl neural cell adhesion molecule; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole