| Objective: To study the effects on hippocampal neurons of epilepsy-induced rats lasting different time courses of seizure. Methods: 24 SD rats were divided randomly into 4 groups. Three groups of rats were status epilepticus (SE)-induced and differed in seizure-lasting time as follow: 1. SE<10 minutes; 2. SE 10-30 minutes; 3. SE>30minutes. The fourth was a control group. The hippocampal neuronal cell loss was assessed by light microscopy; the ultrastructural morphological changes were observed by electron microscopy; the apoptosis related gene Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in hippocampous were investigated by using immunochemical method and the apoptotic neurons were detected by flow cytometry. Results: Little change was seen in the first group, but the hippocampal neurons of the second group had significant apoptotic characters and the neurons showed necrotic features in the third. Conclusion: Status epilepticus triggers hippocampal neuronal degeneration comprised of both necrosis and apoptosis, but which mechanism is dominant depends on the duration of seizure activity.
|
PDF Full Text Request