title: Anti-epileptic effects of neuropeptide Y gene transfection into the rat brain.
abstract: Neuropeptide Y gene transfection into normal rat brain tissue can provide gene overexpression, which can attenuate the severity of kainic acid-induced seizures. In this study, a recombinant adeno-associated virus carrying the neuropeptide Y gene was transfected into brain tissue of rats with kainic acid-induced epilepsy through stereotactic methods. Following these transfections, we verified overexpression of the neuropeptide Y gene in the epileptic brain. Electroencephalograms showed that seizure severity was significantly inhibited and seizure latency was significantly prolonged up to 4 weeks after gene transfection. Moreover, quantitative fluorescent PCR and western blot assays revealed that the mRNA and protein expression of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits NR1, NR2A, and NR2B was inhibited in the hippocampus of epileptic rats. These findings indicate that neuropeptide Y may inhibit seizures via down-regulation of the functional expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Graduate Studies, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050051, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Changzheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Graduate Studies, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050051, Hebei Province, China ; Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang 050051, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Wenqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang 050051, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Wenling
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang 050051, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Peiyuan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, First Hospital of Xingtai, Xingtai 054000, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiufang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dong
keywords: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor; adeno-associated virus; brain injury; epilepsy; gene therapy; kainic acid; neural regeneration; neuropeptide Y; neuroregeneration; seizures