Effect of nifedipine on hippocampal neuron number in penicillin-induced epileptic rats.
OBJECTIVE
Epileptic seizures lead to neuronal loss in the hippocampus. Experimental epilepsy can be induced by direct application of various chemicals to cerebral cortex. Nifedipine is an L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel blocker. In spite of several studies that show the seizure-suppressing effects of nifedipine, it has been shown that nifedipine does not suppress but conversely increases epileptic seizures. Similarly, contradictory effects of nifedipine have been reported, such as neuroprotection, failed neuroprotection and neurotoxicity. We therefore aimed to investigate the effect of nifedipine on hippocampal neuronal loss in penicillin induced epileptic rats in this study.


METHODS
The effect of nifedipine on total hippocampal neuron number was estimated by using the optical fractionator method (an unbiased stereological method) in penicillin-G induced epileptic rats.


RESULTS
The total number of hippocampal neurons in the control group was 183687 ± 3184. In the penicillin-induced group, the total neuron number significantly decreased to 146318 ± 3042 compared to the control group. In the nifedipine group, the neuron number significantly decreased to 128873 ± 1157 compared to both control and penicillin-induced groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Nifedipine increased neuronal loss and did not suppress epileptic seizures in penicillin-induced epileptic rats. Nifedipine could not protect against hippocampal neuronal loss in penicillin-induced epileptic rats.
Bozyaka Education and Research Hospital, Department of Medical Pharmacology, Izmir, Turkey.
Ismail
I
Yilmaz
Ilgaz
I
Akdogan
Ertugrul
E
Kaya
Goksin Nilufer
GN
Yonguc
D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000633:toxicity; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D010406:Penicillins; D009543:Nifedipine