The effect of penicillin-induced seizure on c-fos mRNA expression in rat brain
1999
Ruzdijic, S. | Olbina, G. | Veskov, R. | Ostojic, Z. | Kanazir, S. | Rakic, Lj. (Institute of Biological Research, Belgrade (Serbia and Montenegro). Department of Neurobiology and Immunology, Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology)
It has been previously established that penicillin (PCN) causes seizure activity in mammals by inducing cortical epilepsy. This is the result of competition between PCN and GABA for the GABAa receptor complex. Using Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization we defined the temporal and spacial patterns of c-fos mRNA expression in rat brain. The time course of appearance of c-fos mRNA revealed that the response of neurons to epileptic activity was rapid and transient. In situ hybridization 30 min after PCN administration revealed that c-fos mRNA-expressing neurons were exclusively found in the limbic forebrain regions, i.e. in different parts of the cortex, thalamus, amygdala and hippocampus. Classical anticonvulsant and antiepileptic drugs such as the diazepam and phenobarbital, which are known for enhancing GABA-mediated inhibition in the brain, suppressed the PCN-induced seizures. As a result, no induction of c-fos mRNA, as judged by Northern blot and in situ hibridization, was observed in any of the examined structures following the administration of these drugs. These findings suggest that the activation of c-fos mRNA during PCN-induced seizures is an important and useful facet for the characterization and assessment of the involvement of specific neurons during epileptiform activity.
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