Kainic acid induced seizures: neurochemical and histopathological changes

CREB-1 and CREB-2 immunoreactivity in the rat brain

This study is focused to learn about the cellular localization of transcription factors binding to the cAMP response element-CREBs-in the brain of normal rats and in animals subjected to excitotoxic cell damage. For this purpose, CREB-1 and CREB-2 immunoreactivity is examined in the developing and adult rat brain under physiological conditions, and following systemic kainic acid (KA) injection at convulsant doses in the adult, as a validated experimental model of excitotoxic injury. CREB-1 immunoreactivity is constitutively expressed in periventricular glia and Bergmann glia, and appears in reactive astrocytes following KA-induced excitotoxic cell damage. In contrast, CREB-2 is constitutively expressed in all neurons of the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem in the developing and adult brain. CREB-2 immunoreactivity is not increased following KA excitotoxic cell damage. These results demonstrate that CREB-1 and CREB-2 in the brain of the rat are localized in separate cellular compartments and that their expression is differentially regulated in pathologic states.

Rapid induction by kainic acid of both axonal growth and F1/GAP-43 protein in the adult rat hippocampal granule cells

Hippocampal granule cells do not normally express the axonal growth- and plasticity-associated protein F1/GAP-43 in the adult rat. Using three different methods that lead to hypersynchronous activity in limbic circuits, expression of F1/GAP-43 mRNA can be induced in granule cells which is followed by sprouting in mossy fibers, the axons of granule cells. F1/GAP-43 mRNA expression in granule cells was induced in the temporal, but not septal, hippocampus beginning at 12 hours after kainic acid (KA) subcutaneous injection (10 mg/kg). Beginning 2 days after KA treatment, mossy fiber sprouts restricted to the temporal hippocampus were observed in the supragranular layer. In the same animal we also observed that levels of protein F1/GAP-43 immunoreactivity in this layer apparently increased at this same 2 day time point and same ventral hippocampal location. F1/GAP-43 protein levels and mossy fiber sprouting showed an increase up to 10 days after KA treatment. Sprouting was at a maximum at 40 days, the longest time point studied. These events parallel axonal regeneration with one critical difference: granule cell axons are not damaged by kainate. The rapid onset of axonal growth in the adult is striking and occurs earlier than reported previously (2 days vs. 12 days). Such growth closely associated with elevated levels of protein F1/GAP-43 may occur as a result of a) reactive synaptogenesis caused by the availability of post-synaptic surface on granule cell dendrites at the supragranular layer, b) Hebbian co-activation of the post-synaptic granule cells and their presynaptic afferents, and c) loss of target-derived inhibitory growth factor.

Oxytocin and vasopressin mRNA expression in rat hypothalamus following kainic acid-induced seizures

In this study, the regulation of hypothalamic oxytocin and vasopressin messenger RNA expression following the induction of seizures was investigated by in situ hybridization. Following kainic acid-induced seizures, a significant increase in oxytocin messenger RNA in the paraventricular nucleus was demonstrated at 1.5 h, one and two weeks; its level decreased at three weeks and was significantly increased again at four weeks; at eight weeks the messenger RNA level still remained higher than that of controls. Vasopressin messenger RNA in the paraventricular nucleus was increased significantly only at 1.5 h following induction of seizures. The oxytocin messenger RNA level in the supraoptic nucleus was also increased early at 1.5 h and later at four weeks following seizures; however, these increases did not last as long as those in the paraventricular nucleus. Vasopressin messenger RNA in the supraoptic nucleus was also increased after the initial seizures; however, its messenger RNA level vacillated up and down throughout the post-seizure times studied. The earliest significant increase of vasopressin messenger RNA was at one week after seizures, and there was a late significant increase of vasopressin messenger RNA at three weeks after seizures. The present study demonstrates that following kainic acid-induced seizures both, the oxytocin and vasopressin messenger RNA expressions, were up-regulated and these up-regulations were long-term events. The increase of oxytocin messenger RNA in the paraventricular nucleus was more persistent than the others. The pattern of messenger RNA up-regulation was different for oxytocin and vasopressin, and different in the paraventricular nucleus and supraoptic nucleus. These different patterns of messenger RNA elevations suggest that the different components of the rat hypothalamus were regulated differentially by kainic acid-induced seizures.

The role of dopamine in epilepsy

The clinical benefits of dopamine agonists in the management of epilepsy can be traced back over a century, whilst the introduction of neuroleptics into psychiatry practice 40 years ago witnessed the emergence of fits as a side effect of dopamine receptor blockade. Epidemiologists noticed a reciprocal relationship between the supposed dopaminergic overactivity syndrome of schizophrenia and epilepsy, which came to be regarded as a dopamine underactivity condition. Early pharmacological studies of epilepsy employed nonselective drugs, that often did not permit dopamine's antiepileptic action to be clearly dissociated from that of other monoamines. Likewise, the biochemical search for genetic abnormalities in brain dopamine function, as predeterminants of spontaneous epilepsy, proved largely inconclusive. The discovery of multiple dopamine receptor families (D1 and D2), mediating opposing influences on neuronal excitability, heralded a new era of dopamine-epilepsy research. The traditional anticonvulsant action of dopamine was attributed to D2 receptor stimulation in the forebrain, while the advent of selective D1 agonists with proconvulsant properties revealed for the first time that dopamine could also lower the seizure threshold from the midbrain. Whilst there is no immediate prospect of developing D2 agonists or D1 antagonists as clinically useful antiepileptics, there is a growing awareness that seizures might be precipitated as a consequence of treating other neurological disorders with D2 antagonists (schizophrenia) or D1 agonists (parkinsonism).

Regional changes in brain dopamine utilization during status epilepticus in the rat induced by systemic pilocarpine and intrahippocampal carbachol

Systemic administration of pilocarpine (400 mg/kg i.p.) or intrahippocampal injection of carbachol (100 micrograms/1 microliters) induced limbic motor seizures in rats, characterized by head weaving and paw treading, rearing and falling, and forepaw myoclonus, developing into status epilepticus. After being in status for 30 min, rats were killed and levels of dopamine, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were determined in eight brain regions by high performance liquid chromatography. Pilocarpine-induced seizures significantly elevated dopamine in the striatum, and in both dorsal and ventral aspects of the hippocampus, but did not affect dopamine in substantia nigra, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, cingulate cortex or amygdala. Metabolite levels were increased in striatum, substantia, nigra, nucleus accumbens and cingulate cortex, and fell in the hippocampus, but remained unchanged in the olfactory tubercle and amygdala. Intrahippocampal carbachol significantly raised the dopamine contents of striatum and nigra, and in both ventral and dorsal aspects of the hippocampus, but not elsewhere. DOPAC and/or HVA were elevated in all brain regions tested, save for amygdala and dorsal hippocampus. These changes translated into seizure-induced increases in dopamine utilization in the nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle and cingulate cortex, and to a fall in dopamine utilisation in the hippocampus, with no net change in amygdala. In addition pilocarpine (but not carbachol) increased dopamine utilization in the nigrostriatal axis, possibly through a seizure-unrelated mechanism. The relevance of these findings to seizure development are discussed.

Seizure activity causes elevation of endogenous extracellular kynurenic acid in the rat brain

This study was designed to examine the effects of several classic convulsants on the extracellular concentration of the anticonvulsant and neuroprotective brain metabolite kynurenic acid (KYNA) in the rat brain. Drug effects were investigated in vivo, mostly by unilateral microdialysis in the dorsal hippocampus. Systemic administration of pentylenetetrazole (60 mg/kg, SC), pilocarpine (325 mg/kg, SC), bicuculline (6 mg/kg, SC), or kainic acid (10 mg/kg, SC) caused characteristic clonic and/or tonic convulsions. In all seizure paradigms, KYNA levels in the dialysate began to rise within 1 h and gradually reached a plateau approximately 4 h after administration of the convulsants. Peak increases were 1.5-3-fold over basal levels. The duration of the elevation in KYNA levels was significantly prolonged following kainic acid application. In the kainic acid model, extracellular KYNA was also measured and found to be increased in the ventral hippocampus, piriform cortex, and striatum. Moreover, temporary intrahippocampal infusion of the KYN synthesis inhibitor aminooxyacetic acid (1 mM) in the kainic acid- and pentylenetetrazole models attenuated the increase in extracellular KYNA levels, demonstrating that de novo production of KYNA in the brain accounts for the seizure-induced KYNA overflow. A separate group of animals received a unilateral intrahippocampal injection of the endogenous convulsant excitotoxin quinolinic acid (120 nmol) and showed long-lasting (> 24 h) bilateral increases in extracellular KYNA levels. Taken together, these data indicate that an increase in extracellular KYNA may constitute a common occurrence in response to seizures and that KYNA elevations may signify the brain's attempt to counteract seizure activity.

Autoradiographic analysis of neuropeptide Y receptor binding sites in the rat hippocampus after kainic acid-induced limbic seizures

Changes in peptide YY receptor binding were investigated at various intervals after limbic seizures induced in rats by an intraperitoneal injection of kainic acid (10-12 mg/kg). Six to 24 h after kainic acid, specific peptide YY binding, representing Y1 and Y2 neuropeptide Y receptor subtypes, was markedly enhanced in the strata radiatum and oriens CA3 (increase by up to 185% and 178% of control values, respectively). Seven and 30 days after kainic acid, a reduction by up to 63% was found. The basal and kainic acid-induced changes in peptide YY binding were mainly represented by Y2 receptor sites. In the hilus of the dentate gyrus, an increase of global peptide YY binding by up to 400% was observed after 24 h which became attenuated to 125% after 30 days. In the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus global peptide YY binding increased by up to 87% between six and 24 h after kainic acid injection and was reduced by 37% after 30 days. Similar changes were observed in the cerebral cortex. Whereas in the hilus of the dentate gyrus peptide YY binding consisted mainly of Y2 sites, it represented predominantly Y1 receptors in the molecular layer and the cortex. The decline in global and Y2 specific peptide YY binding observed at 30 days in the hippocampus proper was prevented in animals protected from seizure-induced brain damage by an anticonvulsant dose of phenobarbital 3 h after injection of kainic acid. In the stratum moleculare of the dentate gyrus, Y2 specific binding was significantly enhanced while global peptide YY binding was slightly decreased compared to controls. These results show lasting changes in neuropeptide Y receptor binding sites after the acute seizures induced by kainic acid. Since neuropeptide Y modulates glutamatergic neurotransmission, these modifications may play an important role in the hippocampal excitability of chronically epileptic rats.

Ultrastructure of excitotoxic neuronal death in murine cortical culture

Ischemic and traumatic brain injury are likely to involve neuronal injury triggered by glutamate receptor overactivation. Although excitotoxic neuronal injury has been widely studied in the setting of primary culture, the extent to which these in vitro injury paradigms resemble in vivo ischemic injury morphologically has not previously been well studied. We studied glutamate receptor mediated neuronal death by transmission electron microscopy and light microscopy. Morphologic characteristics of neurons injured by 10 min exposure to 500 microM glutamate include rapid swelling of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, and cytoplasmic and nuclear lucency. Both alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid and kainic acid caused vacuolation, dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum, cytoplasmic condensation and random condensation of chromatin with preserved mitochondria. None of these injuries was ameliorated by cycloheximide or actinomycin D; all were significantly lessened by aurintricarboxylic acid. Gel electrophoresis showed no increase in DNA fragmentation over control. The morphologic changes seen with alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid and kainate are distinct from the changes induced by glutamate. Excitotoxic injury in this system due to high concentrations of glutamate resembles necrosis while the other agonists produce a different form of cell death which is neither necrosis nor apoptosis.

Hippocampal granule cells express glutamic acid decarboxylase-67 after limbic seizures in the rat

Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common form of epilepsy. Decreased GABA-ergic inhibition has been suggested as one cause of hyperexcitability. On the other hand, increased expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme of GABA synthesis, has been found in interneurons of the hippocampus in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and in rats after kainic acid-induced limbic seizures, indicating increased GABA-ergic transmission. Here we report differential expression of two genes encoding different molecular forms of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), GAD65 and GAD67, after kainic acid-induced seizures in the rat. There is a rapid but transient elevation of GAD67 mRNA levels in granule cells 6-24 h after kainic acid injection, followed by enhanced GAD immunoreactivity in the terminal field of mossy fibers. In interneurons in the hilus of the dentate gyrus, a sustained and progressing increase in the expression of both GAD65 and GAD67 messenger RNA occurs. These observations indicate that consitutively glutamatergic mossy fibers may be capable of synthetizing and utilizing the inhibitory transmitter GABA in sustained limbic seizures. Enhanced expression of glutamic acid decarboxylases within interneurons and in granule cells/mossy fibers suggest augmented GABA-ergic neurotransmission supporting selfprotective, anticonvulsive mechanisms in limbic epilepsy.

NMDA receptors mediate heat shock protein induction in the mouse brain following administration of the ibotenic acid analogue AMAA

Expression of inducible heat shock protein-70 (HSP-70) and hsp-70 mRNA were studied in the adult mouse brain following systemic administration of the ibotenic acid analogue (+/-)-2-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazoleacetic acid (AMAA), which is a potent N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) agonist. At the dose of 20 mg/kg, AMAA produced excitatory behaviours in adult mice but overt convulsions were not seen. This treatment did not result in any detectable morphological brain damage at 4 days following administration. At 2.5 h and 5 h following treatment induction of hsp-70 mRNA expression was found in the pyramidal cell layers of CA1 and, to a lesser extent, CA3 fields of hippocampal Ammon's horn, amygdala, olfactory lobes, tenia tecta, hypothalamic nuclei and a superficial layer of cingulate, frontal and retrosplenial cortices. The presence of HSP-70 was detected by immunochemistry at 24 h following drug administration in those regions previously showing hsp-70 mRNA induction. AMAA-induced hsp-70 mRNA expression was prevented by pre-treatment with the non-competitive NMDA antagonist MK-801. These results suggest that NMDA receptors are involved in the stress response induced by AMAA.

Systemic administration of kainate induces marked increases of endogenous kynurenic acid in various brain regions and plasma of rats

The endogenous neuroinhibitory and neuroprotective excitatory amino acid receptor antagonist kynurenic acid has been hypothetically linked to the pathogenesis of epilepsy and several other brain disorders. In the present study, alterations in kynurenic acid levels were examined in the kainate model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Kainate was systemically injected in rats at a dose (10 mg/kg s.c.) which induces a characteristic behavioural syndrome with stereotypies and focal (limbic) and generalized seizures, eventually progressing into severe status epilepticus. Kynurenic acid was determined 3 h after kainate injection in various brain regions (olfactory bulb, frontal cortex, piriform cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, caudate/putamen, thalamus, superior and inferior colliculus, pons and medulla, and cerebellar cortex) and in plasma, using a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method. When data were analysed irrespective of individual seizure severity, significant increases in kynurenic acid were determined in all brain regions examined except the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens and pons/medulla. The most marked (200-500%) increases above controls were seen in the piriform cortex, amygdala, and cerebellar cortex. Furthermore, a significant kynurenic acid increase of about 200% above control was determined in plasma. When kynurenic acid levels were determined in subgroups of rats with different behavioural alterations in response to kainate, the most marked kynurenic acid increases were seen in subgroups with status epilepticus. Rats which only developed mild (focal) seizures or stereotyped behaviours (wet dog shakes) also exhibited significantly increased kynurenic acid levels, thus indicating that the increase in kynurenic acid in response to kainate was not solely due to sustained convulsive seizure activity. Whereas it was previously proposed that kynurenic acid is involved only in later stages of seizure disorders, the present data demonstrate that marked increases in central and peripheral kynurenic acid levels occur early after the onset of neuroexcitation, at least in the kainate model.

Both apoptosis and necrosis occur following intrastriatal administration of excitotoxins

To learn about the mechanisms of excitotoxic cell death in vivo, three different excitatory amino acid receptor agonists (kainic acid, quinolinic acid or quisqualic acid) were injected in the left striatum of adult rats. Brains were examined at 24 and 48 h after injection. Morphological and biochemical studies were performed using conventional stains, histochemistry, in situ labelling of nuclear DNA fragmentation, and agarose gel electrophoresis of extracted DNA. Large numbers of cells with cytoplasmic shrinkage and nuclear condensation or granular degeneration of the chromatin, and fewer cells with apoptotic morphology were distributed at random in the injured areas of the three groups of treated animals but not in rats injected with vehicle alone. A ladder pattern, typical of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, was observed 24 h after treatment. This was replaced by a smear pattern, consistent with random DNA breakdown, at 48 h. These morphological and biochemical results suggest that prevailing necrosis together with apoptosis occur following intrastriatal injection of different excitotoxins.

Phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated neurofilament proteins: distribution in the rat hippocampus and early changes after kainic acid induced seizures

The regional distribution of neurofilament proteins in the rat hippocampus and their early changes after kainic acid induced seizures were investigated immunocytochemically with antibodies against light weight neurofilament, phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated heavy weight neurofilament. The light weight and non-phosphorylated heavy weight neurofilaments were distributed more unevenly than the phosphorylated neurofilament. The perikarya and processes of pyramidal cells in the CA3 field contained the highest light weight and non-phosphorylated heavy weight neurofilaments, while the perikarya of granule cells contained only few light weight neurofilament and the perikarya of CA1 pyramidal cells were even devoid of immunoreactivity of both light and heavy weight neurofilaments. The fiber staining of the light weight and non-phosphorylated heavy weight neurofilaments, especially the former, was less in the CA1 field and molecular layer of dentate gyrus. The phosphorylated neurofilament immunoreactivity was identified only in axons. Mossy fibers, the axons of granule cells, contained the light weight and phosphorylated heavy weight neurofilaments, but not the non-phosphorylated neurofilament. Seven days after the kainic acid induced seizures, the phosphorylated neurofilament staining was greatly reduced in the CA1 and inner molecular layer of the dentate gyrus, probably resulting from the axonal degeneration of the Schaffer collaterals and the commissural/associational fibers. Furthermore, the nonphosphorylated neurofilament appeared in the mossy fibers of the CA3 stratum lucidum, which normally do not express such immunoreactivity. The results indicate that the neurofilaments are altered following the neuronal degeneration and postlesional plasticity caused by the kainic acid administration. Therefore, the examination of various phosphorylated neurofilaments may offer a comprehensive understanding of major hippocampal pathways, axonal plasticity and the possible roles of neurofilaments in the hippocampus following excitotoxic insults.

NMDA receptor blockade prevents kainate induction of protein F1/GAP-43 mRNA in hippocampal granule cells and subsequent mossy fiber sprouting in the rat

Granule cells in the adult rat hippocampus do not constitutively express the growth-related axonal protein F1 (a.k.a. B-50, GAP-43, neuromodulin, pp46), yet kainic acid (KA) can induce extensive growth of granule cell axons, the mossy fibers, into the supragranular layer. Does this KA-induced growth occur in the absence of protein F1/GAP-43? Using quantitative in situ hybridization, we found that 16-24 h after KA (10 mg/kg, s.c.) F1/GAP-43 mRNA was in fact induced in granule cells and remained elevated above control levels for at least 20 days. The induction of F1/GAP-43 mRNA in granule cells was blocked either by MK-801 or pentobarbital pretreatment. If pentobarbitol was given 55 min, but not 90 min, after KA, F1/GAP-43 mRNA was also blocked. Since induction of F1/GAP-43 occurred when pentobarbitol was given 90 min after KA, a 35 min window of activation is required, beyond the initial 55 min, for F1/GAP-43 mRNA induction. As both MK-801 and pentobarbital blocked behavioral seizures their anti-convulsant action may be important for blocking F1/GAP-43 mRNA induction. Mossy fiber sprouting observed 30 days after KA was also blocked when either MK-801 or pentobarbital was given prior to KA. These results are consistent with the proposal that protein F1/GAP-43 promotes axonal growth in the adult brain in an input-dependent manner, and may also be of clinical relevance to the molecular mechanisms underlying structural remodeling in epilepsy.

Expression of enkephalin and dynorphin precursor mRNAs in brain areas of hypo-and hyperthyroid rat: effect of kainic acid injection

An abnormal thyroid status induces morphological and neurochemical modifications in the adult brain. In this study we have analyzed the expression of enkephalin (ENK) and dynorphin (DYN) precursor mRNAs by means of in situ hybridization in the brain of hypothyroid and hyperthyroid rats. The influence of thyroid hormones on kainic acid (KA)-induced expression of ENK and DYN mRNAs in the granule cells of the dentate gyrus was also studied. Our results can be summarized as follows: (1) hypothyroidism induces an up-regulation of ENK mRNA in the granule cells of the dentate gyrus and layers V/VI of the cingulate cortex and of DYN mRNA in the granule cells of the dentate gyrus; (2) the up-regulation of ENK mRNA expression in the granule cells induced by KA is not modified by altered thyroid status; (3) in contrast, the KA injection fails to up-regulate DYN precursor mRNA expression in the granule cells of the rostral dentate gyrus of the hypothyroid rats; (4) injection of KA in hyperthyroid rats increases the expression of DYN mRNA in the granule dentate gyrus more than in euthyroid rats. The present results suggest that thyroid hormones exert an inhibitory control of expression of ENK and DYN mRNAs in selected brain areas. This effect could be directly mediated though the thyroid hormone nuclear receptor or could be secondary to changes in glutamatergic transmission in the dentate gyrus, as suggested by the profound alteration of the KA-induced expression of DYN mRNA in the dentate gyrus of hypo-and hyperthyroid rats.

Up-regulation of bax and down-regulation of bcl-2 is associated with kainate-induced apoptosis in mouse brain

Systemic administration of kainate induces cell death in vulnerable regions of the rodent brain. Neuronal degeneration is associated with internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and induction of presumptive cell death effector genes (e.g. p53, c-fos) suggesting that kainate activates an apoptotic pathway. In the present study, kainate-induced DNA damage has been demonstrated at the cellular level by in situ nick translation in the mouse hippocampus and neocortex at 24 h and 48 h after intraperitoneal injections. In the same regions, the intensity of Bcl-2 immunoreactivity decreased by about 45% as measured by digital image analysis. Most important, kainate treatment evoked a nearly 3-fold increase in bax mRNA levels within the mouse brain. The down-regulation of bcl-2, which promotes cell survival, and the up-regulation of bax, which promotes programmed cell death, may have functional significance in kainate-mediated excitotoxicity and in the selective vulnerability of specific brain regions.

Delayed cell death in the contralateral hippocampus following kainate injection into the CA3 subfield

A model of epileptic cell death has been developed employing unilateral injections of kainic acid, a glutamate agonist, into the CA3 subfield of the hippocampus. The contralateral hippocampus, where neuronal damage is induced by hyperactivity in afferent pathways, served as the model structure. The pattern of cell death in this model was shown earlier to correspond to the vulnerable regions in human temporal lobe epilepsy. In the present time-course study we demonstrated that the different subpopulations of vulnerable cells in the contralateral hippocampus of the rat degenerate at different times following kainate injection. Spiny calretinin-containing cells in the hilus and CA3 stratum lucidum disappear at 12-24 h, other types of hilar neurons and CA3c pyramidal cells show shrinkage and argyrophilia at two days, whereas CA1 pyramidal cells degenerate at three days postinjection. The majority of cells destined to die showed a transient expression of the heatshock protein 72, approximately one day (for hilar-CA3c) or two days (for CA1) before degeneration. Parvalbumin-immunoreactivity transiently disappeared from the soma and dendrites of interneurons between the first and the fourth day. The results suggest that seizure-induced cell death is delayed, therefore acute oedema, even if it occurs, is insufficient to kill neurons. The only exception is the population of calretinin-containing interneurons degenerating at 12-24 h. The further one day delay between hilar-CA3c and CA1 cell death is likely to be due to differences in the relative density of glutamate receptor types (kainate versus NMDA) and the source of afferent input of these subfields. Thus, simple pharmacotherapy targeting only one of the excitotoxic mechanisms (i.e. acute oedema of calretinin cells versus delayed death of hilar-CA3c and CA1 cells at different time points) is likely to fail.

Functional effects of D-Phe-c[Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Lys-Val-Cys]-Trp-NH2 and differential changes in somatostatin receptor messenger RNAs, binding sites and somatostatin release in kainic acid-treated rats

In situ hybridization histochemistry for somatostatin receptors-1, -2, -3 and -4 section and receptor autoradiography using [125I]CGP 23996, [125I]somatostatin-28, [125I]seglitide and [125I]Tyr3 octreotide were carried out to determine the expression of somatostatin receptor messenger RNAs and binding sites in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of rats 21 days following generalized limbic seizures induced by subcutaneous injection of 12mg/kg kainic acid. In control rats, somatostatin-1 to somatostatin-4 receptor messenger RNAs were found in the pyramidal layer and granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus. After kainate treatment, the CA1 subfield displayed a selective decrease in somatostatin-3 and somatostatin-4 receptor hybridization signals of 35 and 41%, respectively, whereas no changes were observed in the remaining hippocampal areas. Somatostatin-1 and somatostatin-2 receptor messenger RNA expression in the hippocampus remained unaffected by kainate treatment. No effect of kainate was observed in the expression of somatostatin receptor messenger RNAs in the cerebral cortex. In control rats, the selective somatostatin-2 receptor ligands, [125I]seglitide and [125I]Tyr3 octreotide and the non-selective somatostatin receptor ligands [125I]CGP 23996 and [125I]somatostatin-28, labelled preferentially the stratum oriens and radiatum CA1, the granule and molecular layers of the dentate gyrus and the deep layers of the cerebral cortex. [125I]somatostatin-28 and [125I]CGP 23996 labelled sites were selectively decreased by 32 and 39%, respectively, in the stratum radiatum CA1 after kainate treatment. [125I]CGP 23996 binding was also decreased by 35% in the stratum oriens CA1 and by 36% on average in the stratum oriens and radiatum CA3. [125I]seglitide and [125I]Tyr3 octreotide binding was not affected by kainate in any hippocampal region. The granule and molecular layers of the hippocampus and the layers IV-VI of the cerebral cortex did not show changes in binding sites for any of the radioligands analysed. A 18 and 35% decrease in the spontaneous and 50 mM KCl-induced somatostatin release from hippocampal slices was found two days after kainate, a likely reflection of neuronal cell loss. No differences in somatostatin release were observed 21 days after kainate treatment. At this latter time, the rats had an enhanced susceptibility to tonic-clonic seizures induced by intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg/kg pentylenetetrazol, a subconvulsant dose in naive rats. Bilateral infusion of 6 micrograms RC 160, a selective somatostatin-2 receptor agonist, in the dentate gyrus 21 days after kainate, significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the number of animals with tonic-clonic seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Correlation between seizure intensity and stress protein expression after limbic epilepsy in the rat brain

Induction of heat shock/stress proteins is a key feature of a universal mechanism of cellular defence to injury known as the "stress response". The present study investigated whether heat shock protein expression correlates with the extent of neuronal injury inflicted by increasingly intense seizure activity. Limbic epilepsy was elicited by injecting intraperitoneally 8, 10 or 12 mg/kg kainic acid in adult Sprague-Dawley rats, resulting in graded degrees of seizure intensity and duration that closely correlated with the respective dose. Stress protein expression was investigated by immunocytochemistry and western blot analysis of microdissected brain areas with specific antibodies directed against representative members of three major classes of stress proteins, i.e. heat shock protein 72, heat shock protein 90 and heat shock protein 27, respectively. Heat shock protein 72 was absent in the brains of control animals, but markedly induced after limbic seizures in neurons of the limbic system, cortex, striatum and thalamus, with peak levels at 24 h. An increasing degree of seizure intensity caused a graded increase of heat shock protein 72 levels with a sequence reflecting the rank order of kainic acid susceptible hippocampal subpopulations. In contrast to heat shock protein 72, heat shock protein 90 was markedly expressed and equally abundant in all brain areas of untreated control animals and at any time point investigated following limbic seizures. Heat shock protein 27 was not detected in the brain of untreated animals nor following epilepsy. The present investigations demonstrate that the induction threshold of heat shock protein 72 in specific neuronal subpopulations clearly correlates with seizure intensity and duration. In addition, our experiments also define a narrow range of heat shock protein 72 expression with an upper limit beyond which heat shock protein 72 synthesis sharply declines. These findings reflect the risk of hippocampal neurons to undergo limbic seizure induced neuronal degeneration. It remains to be determined whether heat shock protein 72 expression is only a valuable marker for reversible neuronal injury or actually confers a neuroprotective effect.

Cell death, gliosis, and synaptic remodeling in the hippocampus of epileptic rats

Seizures set in motion complex molecular and morphological changes in vulnerable structures, such as the hippocampal complex. A number of these changes are responsible for neuronal death of CA3 and hilar cells, which involves necrotic and apoptotic mechanisms. In surviving dentate granule cells seizures induce an increased expression of tubulin subunits and microtubule-associated proteins, suggesting that an overproduction of tubulin polymers would lead to a remodeling of mossy fibers (the axons of granule cells). In fact, these fibers sprout in the dentate gyrus to innervate granule cell dendrites, creating recurrent excitatory circuits. In contrast, terminal mossy fibers do not sprout in the CA3 field. Navigation of mossy fiber's growth cones may be facilitated by astrocytes, which would exert differential effects by producing and excreting cell adhesion and substrate molecules. In the light of the results discussed here, we suggest that in adult brain activated-resident astrocytes (nonproliferating, tenascin-negative, neuronal cell-adhesion molecule-positive astrocytes) could contribute to the process of axonal outgrowth and synaptogenesis in the dentate gyrus, while proliferating astrocytes, tenascin-positive, could impede any axonal rearrangement in CA3.

Kainic acid-induced heat shock protein-70, mRNA and protein expression is inhibited by MK-801 in certain rat brain regions

The regional expression of inducible 72 kDa heat shock protein (HSP-70), HSP-70 mRNA and the neuropathological outcome of their expression were examined in the rat brain following systemic administration of kainic acid (9 mg/kg), and also after pretreatment with the non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist MK-801 (1 mg/kg). Five hours after administration of kainic acid alone, dense expression of HSP-70 mRNA was found within the limbic system, mainly in the hippocampus, piriform and entorhinal cortices, amygdaloid complex, thalamic nuclei, subiculum and in other cortical areas in rats that had shown convulsive behaviour. At 24 h, HSP-70 immunoreactivity was seen in most areas previously expressing HSP-70 mRNA, except the piriform and entorhinal cortices and several ventral nuclei of the amygdaloid complex. Histopathological examination at 24 h revealed marked cell loss in these latter regions and less severe histopathological changes in other areas of the limbic system in brains of convulsive rats. No alterations were apparent in non-convulsive rats. The percentage of rats showing convulsive behaviour with kainic acid was reduced from 74 to 4% following pretreatment with MK-801. In addition, MK-801 inhibited the kainic acid-induced expression of HSP-70 mRNA and protein in certain brain regions, notably the cortex, the pyramidal cell layer of CA1, and discrete thalamic nuclei. However, HSP-70 mRNA induction was sustained in the pyramidal cell layer of CA3, the amygdaloid complex and the subiculum, despite the fact that none of these rats convulsed. MK-801 prevented necrosis in all rats examined except the single rat that had shown convulsive behaviour. These results show that early regional expression of inducible HSP-70 mRNA allows the visualization of regions affected by kainic acid and maps regions inhibited by MK-801. In addition, the results identify brain regions putatively involved in the manifestation of limbic convulsions. Furthermore, these data illustrate that the induction of HSP-70 mRNA is not predictive of cell death or survival.

Regional and temporal profiles of calcium accumulation and glial fibrillary acidic protein levels in rat brain after systemic injection of kainic acid

Cerebral calcium accumulation and increases in the astroglial intermediate filament protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), have been used as markers of neurotoxic and ischemic brain damage. The present study was aimed at quantitatively investigating the regional and temporal relationship of those indices following a neurotoxic insult. For this purpose, regional changes in 45Ca uptake and GFAP levels, using ELISA, were evaluated in rat brains at both early (several hours) and late time points (up to 6 months) after a single systemic injection of kainic acid (12 mg/kg). After 4 h, limbic brain areas were already heavily labelled by 45Ca. In most investigated brain areas 45Ca accumulation peaked at day 4 (maximum 5 fold increase in amygdala) and returned to normal levels within 1 week (cerebellum, pons/medulla, occipital cortex), 2 weeks (striatum, frontal cortex), 2 or 4 months (limbic brain areas), or remained significantly elevated until 6 months (thalamus). In contrast, in all investigated brain areas, except cerebellum and pons/medulla, GFAP was increased from day 2, reaching maximum levels at day 28 in most limbic structures and remained significantly elevated at the same high level (15 fold increase) in amygdala, or somewhat lower levels in other affected regions (2-7 fold), but not in the thalamus. In all brain areas with 45Ca accumulation, GFAP was increased and the peak responses were highly correlated. Thus, both indices are useful quantitative biochemical markers of acute or subchronic neurotoxicity.

Kainic acid induced seizures cause a marked increase in the expression of neurokinin-3 receptor mRNA in the rat cerebellum

Marked changes in the expression of the tachykinin peptide neurokinin B (NKB) have been recently observed in animal models of epilepsy. In this study we investigated mRNA levels encoding the receptor for NKB, the neurokinin-3 receptor (NK-3R), after limbic seizures induced by kainic acid (KA) in the rat. NK-3R mRNA levels were determined by nuclease protection assay at various time intervals after i.p. injection of KA in the rat. Increases of more than 200% were observed in NK-3R mRNA in the cerebellum after 7 and 30 days. In the hippocampus a moderate, reversible increase (of 70%, 1 day after KA) was seen. In the frontal cortex a reduction of NK-3R mRNA (2 days after KA) was found. In the amygdala, levels of the transcript were decreased (by 50% and more) at all intervals investigated. The decreases in mRNA levels in the amygdala are consistent with the severe damage observed in this brain area. The increases in NK-3R mRNA in the cerebellum point to the development of receptor supersensitivity and suggest a functional role of NKB in this animal model of epilepsy.

Kainate-induced apoptotic cell death in hippocampal neurons

We have examined the role apoptosis plays in epileptic brain damage using intra-amygdaloid injection of kainate. With the silver staining technique of Gallyas, argyrophylic (dying) neurons were observed, a few hours after the injection, in the amygdala and in the vulnerable pyramidal neurons of the hippocampal CA3 region. In both areas, cell death has apoptotic features, including: (i) nuclear chromatin condensation and marginalization with light and electron microscopy; (ii) DNA fragmentation with a typical ladder pattern on agarose gel electrophoresis; (iii) positive nuclear labelling with a selective in situ DNA fragmentation staining method. Combined in situ DNA labelling and silver staining showed that the DNA fragmentation occurred in dying neurons. CA1 or granule cells which do not degenerate following intra-amygdaloid injection of kainate were not stained with the in situ DNA labelling or the argyrophylic technique. Administration of diazepam blocked the kainate-induced seizures and prevented DNA fragmentation in CA3 but not in the amygdala. Therefore, apoptosis contributes to the local and distant damage induced by kainate.

Loss of immunoreactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in astrocytes as a marker for profound tissue damage in substantia nigra and basal cortical areas after status epilepticus induced by pilocarpine in rat

Status epilepticus induced by pilocarpine in rats induces massive tissue damage comprising neurons and astrocytes (incomplete infarction) in substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNR) and in basal cortical areas (BCTX). Immunohistochemistry with a polyclonal antiserum and a monoclonal antibody to GFAP were used here to study the astroglial damage in these regions. Control sections showed a strong labeling for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for both antibodies in SNR and BCTX. At 1 day after induction of seizures, labeling with the polyclonal antibodies showed diffuse increase within the lesioned areas and enhanced staining of astrocytes at the border zones. However, staining with the monoclonal antibody was abolished. At 3 days, labeling with both the polyclonal antiserum and the monoclonal antibody was severely reduced within the damaged regions. Reactive astrocytes in the surround of the infarct showed enhanced labeling with both antibodies. This combination of enhanced labeling with polyclonal antibodies and decreased labeling with the specific monoclonal antibody for GFAP can be taken as indicator for acute glial cell damage in seizures and related experimental conditions.

Dynamic changes in the composition of the AP-1 transcription factor DNA-binding activity in rat brain following kainate-induced seizures and cell death

Kainate, a potent excitatory and neurotoxic agent, has also proved useful in studies on other glutamate-driven phenomena, such as neuronal plasticity. Long-term effects of kainate are apparently dependent on its influence on the expression of various genes, including those encoding the AP-1 transcription factor, consisting of proteins belonging to the Fos and Jun families. In our studies we analysed c-fos, fos B, c-jun, jun B and jun D mRNA levels as well as a functional feature of AP-1, its DNA-binding activity, in the rat brain following systemic injection of kainate. Two phases of elevated AP-1 DNA-binding activity were observed in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, and were correlated with period of seizures (2 and 6 h after kainate injection) and neuron damage (48-72 h). At 72 h after kainate treatment DNA fragmentation, believed to be diagnostic of apoptotic processes typical of programmed cell death phenomena, was noted. Two and six hours after the treatment, AP-1 consisted predominantly of Fos B, c-Fos, Fra-2 and Jun B, while at 72 h Jun D constituted the major AP-1 component in place of Jun B, and no c-Fos was detected. Only a slight AP-1 increase was seen 24 h after kainate treatment. In the sensory cortex, only the late phase of AP-1 elevation was detected. Contrary to AP-1, no effect of kainate on levels of two other transcription factors, CREB/ATF (cAMP-responsive element binding proteins) and OCT (octamer element DNA-binding activity) was seen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pretreatment with a competitive NMDA antagonist D-CPPene attenuates focal cerebral infarction and brain swelling in awake rats

The purpose of the study was to assess effects of the competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist D-(E)-4-(3-phosphonoprop-2-enyl)piperazine-2-carboxylic acid (D-CPPene) upon focal cerebral infarction and brain oedema in the rat. Focal cerebral ischaemia was produced by permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery under halothane anaesthesia. The anaesthetic gas was discontinued immediately after the occlusion and the rats were killed 24 hours later. Cerebral infarction and brain swelling were each assessed on the frozen brain sections at 8 predetermined coronal planes. Pretreatment with D-CPPene (4.5 mg/kg i.v. followed by continuous infusion at 3 mg/kg/h until sacrifice) 15 minutes prior to MCA occlusion, significantly reduced the volume of infarction in the cerebral hemisphere by 29% (p < 0.05). Brain swelling, obtained by subtracting the nonischaemic hemispheric volume from the ischaemic hemispheric volume, was significantly reduced with D-CPPene treatment and the mean reduction in swelling (34% less than the controls: p < 0.001) proportionately similar to the decrease in infarct volume in the same animals. These data indicate that systemic administration of the competitive NMDA receptor antagonist D-CPPene has neuroprotective effects against ischaemic brain damage, and the reduction in brain swelling occurs in parallel with the reduction in ischaemic damage.

Brain lesions and water-maze learning deficits after systemic administration of kainic acid to adult rats

The relationship between hippocampal damage and spatial learning deficiencies was studied in rats injected with kainic acid (10 mg/kg i.p.). A single injection was given either before or after the acquisition phase of the Morris water-maze task. In this acquisition phase, the animals were required to find a hidden underwater platform starting from four different points. The task was repeated twice a day for 10 days. In the retention phase after 10 days rest, the rats repeated the same task. The damage caused by the treatment occurred in several prosencephalic areas, including the piriform and enthorhinal cortices, the thalamus and the hippocampus. In the latter, greatest damage was seen in CA1 followed by CA3 while CA2 and the gyrus dentatus appeared almost unaffected. The behavioural results indicated that kainic acid impaired but did not preclude the acquisition of the water-maze task. During the retention phase, no significant differences in latencies were found between animals that were treated before and after acquisition, thus, indicating that pretraining does not play an important role in the recovery of these spatial abilities following hippocampal lesions.

The glycine/NMDA receptor partial agonist D-cycloserine blocks kainate-induced seizures in rats. Comparison with MK-801 and diazepam

Systemic administration of kainic acid in the rat results in the development of a characteristic excitotoxic syndrome, consisting of automatisms (wet dog shakes, WDS), sustained limbic seizures and brain damage. Since kainate increases the release of excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters such as glutamate, this syndrome is thought to be due, at least in part, to excessive activation of glutamate receptors, particularly of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype. We examined the effect of D-cycloserine, a partial agonist for the NMDA receptor-associated glycine binding site, in the kainate model of limbic seizures in rats. For comparison, the uncompetitive NMDA antagonist MK-801 (dizocilpine) and the GABAmimetic anticonvulsant diazepam were used. D-Cycloserine exerted a potent, dose-dependent and long-lasting anticonvulsant effect against kainate-induced seizures. At 160 mg/kg, seizures were almost completely suppressed by D-cycloserine over a 3 h observation period. No adverse effects were observed at anticonvulsant doses of D-cycloserine. In contrast to its potent effect on kainate-induced seizures, D-cycloserine did not significantly alter the number of automatisms (WDS) determined after kainate. MK-801, 0.3 mg/kg, also markedly reduced seizure severity in response to kainate, but this anticonvulsant effect was accompanied by marked motor impairment. Similarly, diazepam, 5 mg/kg, significantly attenuated kainate-induced seizures but marked ataxia was observed at this dosage. In contrast to D-cycloserine, both MK-801 and diazepam reduced WDS behaviour caused by kainate. The data demonstrate that pharmacological manipulation of the strychnine-insensitive glycine site is a powerful means of protecting against kainate-induced seizures.

Differential NPY mRNA expression in granule cells and interneurons of the rat dentate gyrus after kainic acid injection

Using in situ hybridization histochemistry neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA expression was investigated after intraperitoneal injection of kainic acid (KA) and after local application of KA or quinolinic acid into the dentate gyrus of the rat. Enhanced concentrations of NPY mRNA were observed in interneurons of the hilus, including presumptive fusiform neurons and pyramidal-shaped basket cells already 4 hours after initiation of limbic seizures by KA (10 mg/kg, i.p.). Increased NPY expression persisted in neurons resistant to seizure-induced cell death (6-48 h after i.p. KA). Exceptionally high hybridization signals were found in interneurons of the hilus and the CA1 and CA3 sectors 8 months after KA-induced limbic seizures. In the granule cell layer only a transient but pronounced increase in NPY mRNA was observed 12-24 h after injection. Only moderate changes were observed in this cell layer at later intervals. Anticonvulsant treatment with thiopental, after a brief period of generalized seizures, prevented the increase in NPY mRNA in granule cells but not in interneurons. No change in NPY message was found also in granule cells of rats which responded with mild "wet dog shake" behavior but not with motor seizures to KA injection. Local injections of low doses of KA (0.05-0.2 nmol) or quinolinic acid (6.5-100 nmol) into the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus under deep thiopental anesthesia, after 24 h, resulted in increased concentrations of NPY message in interneurons of the ipsilateral, but not of the contralateral hilus and not in granule cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

High induction threshold for transcription factor KROX-20 in the rat brain: partial co-expression with heat shock protein 70 following limbic seizures

The transcription factor KROX-20, unlike many other immediate early genes, is not expressed in the rat hippocampus after bicuculline induced generalized seizures. Since limbic seizures are a more injurious stimulus, the KROX-20 expression profile was investigated in adult rats subjected to kainic acid induced limbic epilepsy at postictal intervals up to 48 h. Immunocytochemistry was performed using a specific polyclonal antiserum. In the hippocampus a sequential induction was observed with peak levels attained in dentate gyrus at 3 h, in CA1 at 8 h and in CA3 between 8 and 24 h, respectively. In contrast, no KROX-20 induction was found in hilus neurons. Prominent neuronal KROX-20 induction was also detected in other areas of the limbic system, in particular in amygdala and piriform cortex, as well as non-limbic regions such as neocortex and striatum. As is the case with KROX-20, heat shock protein (HSP) 70, a reliable marker for reversible neuronal injury, has a high induction threshold. Though not inducible in the hippocampus by generalized seizures, it is expressed after limbic epilepsy. Therefore, co-expression of KROX-20 and HSP70 was studied by a double labeling technique using a monoclonal antibody directed against the inducible form of HSP70. Neuronal subpopulations with perfect co-expression such as hippocampal CA1 neurons contrasted with others demonstrating partial co-induction (cortical neurons) or lack of co-expression (hilus cells), indicating that different stimuli trigger the activation of these two inducible genes.

The cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase inhibitor BW755C protects rats against kainic acid-induced seizures and neurotoxicity

In this study the effect of the anti-inflammatory drugs indomethacin, ibuprofen, ebselen (PZ 51, 2-phenyl-1,2-benzoisoselenazol-3(2H)-one), and BW755C (3-amino-1-(m-(trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-2-pyrazoline) on kainic acid (KA)-induced behavioral and neurochemical changes in rats was investigated. Rats injected with KA (10 mg/kg s.c.) developed seizure activity with a 20% mortality within the first 4 h and neuronal degeneration in the limbic system after 3 days. Pretreatment with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (10 mg/kg i.p.) augmented KA-induced epileptic activity and increased the mortality in status epilepticus to 80%. Another cyclooxygenase inhibitor, ibuprofen (20 mg/kg i.p.), and the lipoxygenase inhibitor ebselen (20 mg/kg i.p.) showed no effect on KA-induced symptoms and neurochemical changes. Application of the cyclooxygenase/lipoxygenase inhibitor BW755C (40 mg/kg i.p.) reduced the severity of seizures and protected significantly from irreversible brain lesions induced by KA. The marked reduction of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD; 53.3 +/- 12.2% of control) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT; 60.9 +/- 9.1% of control) activities in amygdala/pyriform cortex and GAD activity in hippocampus (69.4 +/- 5.6% of control) observed 3 days after KA injection was abolished by BW755C treatment. Histopathological analyses of brain tissue showed that treatment with BW755C prevented the KA-induced nerve cell degeneration, edema, hemorrhages, and tissue necrosis in amygdala/pyriform cortex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Expression of the alpha 2-macroglobulin-encoding gene in rat brain and cultured astrocytes

The alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M), a protease inhibitor, is a major acute-phase protein in rats, and is produced in the liver during acute inflammation. Recently, it has been demonstrated that alpha 2M is also produced by cultured astrocytes from newborn rat brain and has neurite-promoting activity. Here, we found that the expression of the alpha 2M gene was significantly enhanced in the brain following intraperitoneal injection of the neurotoxicant, kainic acid (KA), suggesting that alpha 2M acts as an acute-phase protein in the brain, as in the case of the liver, and may be involved in neural repair processes. Expression of alpha 2M in cultured astrocytes was shown to be stimulated by interleukin-6 (IL-6) and/or leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in the presence of glucocorticoid. The amount of mRNAs for IL-6 and LIF increased in the brain of KA-injected rats prior to alpha 2M induction. These results strongly suggested that IL-6 and LIF are involved in alpha 2M induction in the brain, as in the case of the liver. Analysis of the cis-acting element(s) and the trans-acting factor(s) suggested that the regulatory mechanism for alpha 2M expression in astrocytes was similar to that in inflamed liver.

Expression of GAP-43 in the granule cells of rat hippocampus after seizure-induced sprouting of mossy fibres: in situ hybridization and immunocytochemical studies

The axonal growth-associated protein GAP-43 is believed to play some role in the synaptic remodelling that takes place in the hippocampus of adult rats after certain experimental lesions. GAP-43 mRNA is highly expressed in adult CA3 pyramidal cells but almost absent in the dentate granule cells. We analysed whether the sprouting of granule cell axons, the mossy fibres of the hippocampus, caused by kainic acid-induced seizures in adult rats was associated with any induction of GAP-43 mRNA in granule cells and with any changes in the immunostaining pattern of GAP-43 in the hippocampus. Increased GAP-43 mRNA expression was found to be induced in granule cells 18, 24 and 30 h after a systemic injection of kainic acid which induced generalized seizures in adult rats, and returned to control levels by 48 h post-treatment. No effect was observed in other regions of the hippocampus. However, when kainic acid was injected into 15-day-old rats, which responded with generalized seizures but no sprouting of mossy fibres, there was no induction of GAP-43 mRNA in the granule cells, suggesting a close relation between GAP-43 expression and sprouting of these cells. Seven days after kainic acid injections, GAP-43 immunostaining was decreased in the inner molecular layer of the dentate gyrus except for a thin supragranular band, whereas 30 days after treatment all animals showed increased GAP-43 immunoreactivity in the whole inner molecular layer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Neurons of the hippocampal formation express glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor messenger RNA in response to kainate-induced excitation

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a novel member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily with potent trophic effects on dopamine neurons. Kainate-induced epileptic seizures have been shown to induce gene expression of trophic factors, particularly members of neurotrophin or fibroblast growth factor families, in the hippocampus. In this study, we examined the effects of kainate (12 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced epileptic seizures on the expression of the novel neurotrophic factor GDNF in the hippocampus. While GDNF messenger RNA was not detected during development or in normal adult rats in the hippocampus, kainate-induced epileptic seizures markedly increased GDNF messenger RNA in scattered neurons in the dentate granule layer 3 h after injection. Six hours after kainate almost all dentate granule cells and expressed GDNF messenger RNA. The increase in GDNF messenger RNA in the dentate granule layer returned almost to control levels 24 h after kainate; however, there was still expression of GDNF messenger RNA in the hilus/CA4 and also in pyramidal neurons in areas CA1-CA3. We conclude that GDNF messenger RNA is regulated, in part, via glutamate-mediated excitation and may play a role in long-lasting structural and/or functional reorganization in the hippocampal formation.

Brain parenchyma apparent diffusion coefficient alterations associated with experimental complex partial status epilepticus

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether water apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements provide more specific information than T2-weighted MRI about the evolution of brain parenchyma lesions secondary to prolonged complex partial seizures. We measured the ADC in the brain of rats exhibiting prolonged complex partial seizures induced by intraperitoneal injection of kainic acid (KA). The animals were imaged with diffusion and T2-weighted MRI at 2 T from 3 h up to 9 days after KA injection. In the piriform cortex and amygdala, the T2-weighted MRI signal intensity appeared to be uniformly increased from 24 to 72 h after KA injection, and returned to normal by 9 days. In the same regions between 24 and 72 h, the ADC first decreased and then increased. The ADC changes were consistent with the known histopathologic alterations. In this complex partial seizure model, the ADC measurement provides more specific information than T2-weighted MRI about the histopathologic evolution of the lesions. This supports the proposal that diffusion MRI may be valuable for the evaluation of the neuropathologic sequelae in patients with multiple or prolonged seizures.

Spontaneous recurrent seizures in rats: amino acid and monoamine determination in the hippocampus

Rats subjected to structural brain damage induced by sustained convulsions triggered by systemic administration of pilocarpine (PILO) are a useful model for investigation of the mechanisms essential for seizure generation and spread in rodents. After PILO administration, three distinct phases are observed: (a) an acute period of 1-2 days' duration corresponding to a pattern of repetitive limbic seizures and status epilepticus; (b) a seizure-free (silent) period characterized by a progressive return to normal EEG and behavior of 4-44 days' duration; and (c) a period of spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) starting 5-45 days after PILO administration and lasting throughout the animal's life. PILO (320-350 mg/kg intraperitoneally, i.p.) was administered to rats, and the content of hippocampal monoamines and amino acids was measured in the acute, silent, and SRS periods by liquid chromatography. Norepinephrine (NE) level was decreased during all periods whereas dopamine (DA) content was increased. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) was increased only in the acute period. Utilization rate measurement of monoamines showed increased NE consumption and decreased DA consumption during all phases. 5-HT utilization rate was increased only in the acute period. Amino acid content showed a decrease in aspartate (ASP) and glutamate (GLU) concentrations associated with increased gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) level during the acute period. The silent phase was characterized by a decrease in glycine (GLY) and GABA levels and an increase in GLU concentration. The SRS period showed an increase in all amino acid concentrations. These findings show important neurochemical changes in the course of establishment of an epileptic focus after brain damage induced by status epilepticus triggered by pilocarpine.

Effect of temperature on kainic acid-induced seizures

The effects of body temperature on kainic acid-induced seizures and seizure-related brain damage were examined in rats. In rats with status epilepticus induced by intraperitoneal injection of 12 mg/kg of kainic acid (KA), ictal discharges were decreased by 50% when body temperature was lowered to 28 degrees C and nearly abolished when body temperature was lowered to 23 degrees C. In rats with mild hypothermia (28 degrees C), the duration of ictal discharges following KA injection was significantly lower than in rats with normal body temperature. No detectable hippocampal cell loss was observed in rats with hypothermia to 28 degrees C whereas gross cell loss in the hippocampus was observed in all rats with KA injection at normal body temperature. In contract to hypothermia, hyperthermia markedly aggravated the seizures and hippocampal damage induced by KA. Following elevation of body temperature to 42 degrees C KA (12 mg/kg) resulted in severe seizures and all rats died of tonic seizures within 2 h. Furthermore, 6 mg/kg of KA administered to rats with a body temperature of 41-42 degrees C, resulted in up to 4 h of continuous ictal discharges whereas no continuous ictal discharges were observed after the same injections in rats with normal body temperature. Histological examination in rats receiving 6 mg/kg of KA revealed severe cell loss in the hippocampus in rats with hyperthermia but not in rats with normal temperature. These results demonstrate that body temperature plays an important role in the control of epileptic seizures and seizure-related brain damage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A paradox after systemic kainate injection in rats: lesser damage of hippocampal CA1 neurons after higher doses

The pyramidal neuron loss in dorsal rat hippocampus was determined 4 days after i.p. administration of 10 or 20 mg/kg kainic acid (KA). Histological examination revealed that subtotal-to-total loss of the pyramidal neurons in both the CA3 and CA1 regions of hippocampus was produced after 10 mg/kg KA. At the higher dose, severe damage was evident in the CA3 region while no or only sporadic damage was observed in the CA1 region. These findings suggest that the high KA dose damaged the CA3 pyramidal neurons before excitatory input through the Schaffer collaterals produced irreversible damage to the CA1 pyramidal neurons.

Induction of glucose regulated protein (grp78) and inducible heat shock protein (hsp70) mRNAs in rat brain after kainic acid seizures and focal ischemia

Specific probes were obtained using PCR cloning from rat brain for the 78 kDa glucose regulated (grp78), inducible 72 kDa (hsp70) as well as constitutive 73 kDa (hsc73) heat shock mRNAs. Grp78 and hsc73 were expressed in normal rat brain whereas hsp70 was not. Subcutaneous injection kainic acid (10 mg/kg) produced seizures and induced all three mRNAs. The induction of grp78 and hsp70 mRNAs occurred within 2 h, peaked between 6-8 h, persisted for 48 h, and returned to control levels by 72 h. Expression of the grp78 and hsp70 mRNAs after focal ischemia progressively increased with occlusion durations from 15-120 min in the cerebral cortex. Though grp78 and hsp70 mRNAs were induced modestly in the striatum by 15 min of ischemia, longer durations of ischemia were characterized by little change in the grp78 mRNA levels and relatively lower levels of hsp70 expression. This result indicates that progressive increases in the duration of ischemia in brain, prior to infarction, may produce proportional increases in transcription of the heat shock genes. However, once the duration of ischemia is long enough to produce infarction, this severely limits the availability of ATP which blocks transcription of the heat shock genes. In conclusion, concurrent induction of the heat shock genes suggests that kainic acid seizures and focal ischemia induce several different stress responses in brain cells caused by denaturation of proteins, changes of protein synthesis, and changes of protein glycosylation.

Kainic acid seizures in the rat: differential expression of chromogranin A, carboxypeptidase H and peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxigenase in subfields of the hippocampal formation

Using in situ hybridization histochemistry concentrations of mRNAs encoding chromogranin A (ChA), carboxypeptidase H (CPH) and peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxigenase (PAM) have been investigated in the hippocampus after kainic acid (KA)-induced limbic seizures in the rat. Increased concentrations (by 150%) of ChA and CPH mRNAs were found in the granule cell layer 24 h after KA injection. At the same time PAM mRNA levels were only slightly elevated (by 50%). Whereas the increases in CPH and PAM transcripts were only transient, ChA mRNA concentrations in the granule cell layer were elevated up to 2 months after the initial seizures. In contrast, in the pyramidal cell layers of all hippocampal subfields (CA1 to CA3) ChA mRNA concentrations were significantly reduced (by 40-70%) 1-60 days after KA. PAM and CPH messages were slightly reduced in the pyramidal cell layer of CA1 but not in CA2 and CA3. The experiments demonstrate that KA-induced limbic seizures cause sustained changes in the expression of ChA mRNA. At the same time the expression of two enzymes involved in post-translational processing of neuropeptides, PAM and CPH, becomes only transiently altered. Synthesis of ChA may be regulated differently in the strata granulosum and pyramidale during epileptic seizures.

Possible role of the N-terminus of substance P in kainic acid-induced toxicity in rats

Subcutaneously administered kainic acid (KA) in the rat results in brain damage accompanied by a behavioral response characterized by wet dog shakes (WDS), seizures and brain damage, an effect that is potentiated by opioids. Based on the potentiative effect of the N-terminus of substance P (SP) on the ability of KA to induce behavioral responses in mice, we tested the hypothesis that the N-terminus of SP also plays a role in KA-induced neurotoxicity in rats. Pretreatment i.p. with 1 or 10 nmol of SP(1-7), a major N-terminal metabolite of the undecapeptide SP, 15 min before administration of 12 mg/kg of KA potentiated the incidence of WDS. In contrast, after administration of 1 nmol of [D-Pro2, D-Phe7]SP(1-7) (D-SP(1-7)), the D-isomer of SP(1-7) and a substance P N-terminal antagonist, the intensity of KA-induced WDS was no different from those in either the KA- or saline-injected rats. However, pretreatment with D-SP(1-7) completely blocked the potentiative effect of SP(1-7) on the KA-induced WDS. While the severity of KA-induced lesions was not significantly altered by pretreatment with 1 nmol of SP(1-7), the effect of KA was not significantly different from that in control rats when administered with 1 nmol of D-SP(1-7). These results suggest a possible involvement of endogenous SP N-terminal activity in the effects following subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of KA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Selective neuronal death in the contralateral hippocampus following unilateral kainate injections into the CA3 subfield

Intracerebral or intraperitoneal injections of kainic acid, an agonist at a class of glutamate receptors, have been extensively used to model temporal lobe epilepsy. In the present study we compared the types and distributions of selectively vulnerable neurons in the ipsi- and contralateral hippocampi following unilateral kainate injections into the CA3 subfield in order to examine whether "proximal" or "distant" neuronal damage resembled the pathology, and possibly also the mechanism, of human temporal lobe epilepsy. The degeneration of principal cells in the different hippocampal subfields was visualized by silver impregnation, and the loss of various types of non-principal cells was studied by immunostaining for the calcium binding proteins parvalbumin, calbindin-D28k and calretinin, as well as for somatostatin. In the first series of experiments various concentrations (ranging from 0.1 to 1 mg/ml) and volumes (0.5-2 microliters) of kainate were tested to induce reproducible damage in the contralateral hippocampus. The optimal dose, employed in the subsequent vulnerability studies, was found to be 3 x 0.5-microliter injections (over a period of 10 min) of a concentration of 0.33 mg/ml under ether anaesthesia, which was discontinued immediately after injection. Anaesthesia with equithesin was found to prevent contralateral cell death. Most if not all pyramidal cells in the CA3 region degenerated on the ipsilateral side, whereas the dentate granule cells, and the majority of CA1 pyramidal cells were resistant. A strikingly different pattern was found on the contralateral side, where CA1 pyramidal cells were almost completely lost, but the CA3 region (with the exception of CA3c) and the dentate gyrus remained intact. Three subpopulations of non-principal cells were found to be vulnerable in both hemispheres, the hilar somatostatin cells, spiny calretinin cells and mossy cells, as well as the spiny calretinin cells in stratum lucidum of CA3. The other subpopulations were resistant, except for those within the effective injection site. We propose that the "distant" (contralateral) damage resembles the pattern, and probably also the mechanism, of cell death in human temporal lobe epilepsy, whereas the ipsilateral damage does not.

Kynurenine pathway enzymes in a rat model of chronic epilepsy: immunohistochemical study of activated glial cells

The kynurenine pathway metabolites quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid have been hypothetically linked to the occurrence of seizure phenomena. The present immunohistochemical study reports the activation of astrocytes containing three enzymes responsible for the metabolism of quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid in a rat model of chronic epilepsy. Rats received 90 min of patterned electrical stimulation through a bipolar electrode stereotaxically positioned in one hippocampus. This treatment induces non-convulsive limbic status epilepticus that leads to chronic, spontaneous, recurrent seizures. One month after the status epilepticus, the rats showed neuronal loss and gliosis in the piriform cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus, particularly on the side contralateral to the stimulation. Astrocytes containing the kynurenic acid biosynthetic enzyme (kynurenine aminotransferase) and the enzymes for the biosynthesis and degradation of quinolinic acid (3-hydroxyanthranilic acid oxygenase and quinolinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase, respectively) became highly hypertrophied in brain areas where neurodegeneration occurred. Detailed qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed in the hippocampus. In CA1 and CA3 regions, the immunostained surface area of reactive astrocytes increased up to five-fold as compared to controls. Enlarged cells containing the three enzymes were mainly observed in the stratum radiatum, whereas the stratum pyramidale, in which neuronal somata degenerated, showed relatively fewer reactive glial cells. Hypertrophied kynurenine aminotransferase- and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid oxygenase-immunoreactive cells were comparable in their morphology and distribution pattern. In contrast, reactive quinolinic acid phosphoribosyl transferase-positive glial cells displayed diversified sizes and shapes. Some very large quinolinic acid phosphoribosyl transferase-immunoreactive cells were noticed in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. In the hippocampus, the number of immunoreactive glial cells increased in parallel to the hypertrophic responses. In addition, pronounced increases in immunoreactivities, associated with hypertrophied astrocytes, occurred around lesioned sites in the thalamus and piriform cortex. These findings indicate that kynurenine metabolites derived from glial cells may play a role in chronic epileptogenesis.

Spatiotemporal induction of immediate early genes in the rat brain after limbic seizures: effects of NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801

Fos, jun and krox belong to multigene families coding for transcription factors. These cellular immediate early genes (IEGs) are thought to be involved in coupling neuronal excitation to changes of target gene expression. Immunocytochemistry with specific antisera was used to assess regional levels of six IEG-encoded proteins (c-Fos, Fos B, Krox-24, c-Jun, Jun B, Jun D) in the rat forebrain after kainic acid-induced limbic seizures. The results demonstrate a complex spatial pattern of IEG induction and/or suppression in limbic and non-limbic structures. The sequence of induction within hippocampal subpopulations was identical for all IEGs investigated, following the order dentate gyrus, CA1 and CA3, and irrespective of different temporal profiles for individual transcription factors. Since Fos and Jun proteins act via homo- and heterodimer complexes at specific DNA sites, our data imply that the postictal combinatorial changes of these dimers allow a sequential and differential regulation of target gene expression in specific forebrain regions. Pretreatment with the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 did not affect kainate-induced expression of IEGs in the limbic system, indicating that IEG induction in these regions is mediated by high-affinity kainate and AMPA receptors rather than NMDA receptors. In contrast, MK-801 abolished IEG induction in the somatosensory cortex and striatum, suggesting that IEG expression in non-limbic neurons occurs transsynaptically and is mediated by NMDA receptors.

Rapid dephosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein 2 in the rat brain hippocampus after pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures

We have studied the effect of Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures on the state of phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) from rat hippocampus. A method for the in vivo 32P-labeling of hippocampal proteins has been established, consisting of intracerebro-ventricular injection of 32PO4 of high specific activity. The results obtained indicate that PTZ induces a rapid and transient dephosphorylation of high-molecular-mass MAP-2, which is prevented when the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist MK-801 is previously administered. Phosphopeptide mapping of 32P-labeled MAP-2 obtained from hippocampi of PTZ-treated rats reveals a pattern of phosphorylation distinct from that obtained from control saline-treated rats or MK-801 plus PTZ treated rats. We discuss the possible implications of N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor activation and MAP-2 dephosphorylation on the plastic changes induced in rat brain hippocampus after induced epileptiform activity.

Regional and temporal variations in the accumulation of unesterified fatty acids and diacylglycerols in the rat brain during kainic acid induced limbic seizures

These experiments tested the hypothesis that limbic seizures induced by kainic acid (KA) activate mechanisms (e.g. phospholipase) that degrade the cell membrane, causing a release and accumulation of free fatty acids (FFAs) and diacylglycerols (DGs) in brain areas susceptible to seizure-related damage. The possible link between these effects on lipids and the subsequent development of seizure-related brain damage was investigated by studying the temporal and regional relationship between alterations in lipids in the hippocampus, frontal cerebral cortex, amygdala, striatum and cerebellum, and the development and severity of seizures. Rats were treated with 10 mg/kg KA (s.c.) and sacrificed by head focused microwave irradiation at 1 h, 2 h, 24 h, or 7 days. Levels of FFAs and DGs were determined by gas liquid chromatography (GLC). Brain regions from control rats differed markedly in the content and composition of both FFA and DG pools. Changes in FFAs and DGs during KA-induced limbic seizures also varied from region to region and over time after drug treatment. The largest increases in FFAs in amygdala, striatum, cortex and hippocampus occurred during the peak of seizure activity. Although DG levels were altered in some areas at some time points, there was no apparent correlation between changes in DGs and seizure severity. However, increases in DGs occurred at later time points, coincident with the occurrence of neuronal cell loss in amygdala, cortex, hippocampus and striatum. These data indicate that limbic seizures activate the accumulation of FFAs through increased neuronal activity, while accumulation of DGs may be related to the development of seizure-related brain damage.

Kainate-induced changes in opioid peptide genes and AP-1 protein expression in the rat hippocampus

In the rat hippocampus, jun, c-fos, and fos-related antigen immunoreactivity, AP-1 DNA binding, and opioid peptide gene expression were examined after kainate treatment to determine whether the induction and DNA binding of AP-1 transcription factors are correlated with the expression of the opioid peptide genes. One and one-half hours after kainate administration, fos-related antigen and jun immunoreactivity and AP-1 DNA binding were induced; maximal elevation was observed after 4.5 h. Transcription factor expression and DNA binding increased in a dose-dependent manner. Preprodynorphin and preproenkephalin mRNA induction was also dose dependent. The anticonvulsants, pentobarbital and diazepam, effectively blocked electroencephalographic seizure activity caused by kainate treatment, whereas valproic acid was approximately 50% effective. Opioid peptide gene expression, fos-related antigen and jun immunoreactivity, and AP-1 DNA binding all reflected similar reductions after anticonvulsant treatment. Therefore, expression and DNA binding activity of the AP-1 transcription factors are correlated with opioid peptide gene expression in the rat hippocampus.