Open AccessThe Inhibitory Effects of Npas4 on Seizures in Pilocarpine-Induced Epileptic Rats
Author(s) -
Dan Wang,
Min Ren,
Jiamei Guo,
Guang Yang,
Xianghua Long,
Rong Hu,
Wenjing Shen,
Xuefeng Wang,
Kebin Zeng
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0115801
Subject(s) - pilocarpine , status epilepticus , medicine , epilepsy , endocrinology , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , chemistry , biology , neuroscience
To explore the effects of neuronal Per-Arnt-Sim domain protein 4 (Npas4) on seizures in pilocarpine-induced epileptic rats, Npas4 expression was detected by double-label immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting in the brains of pilocarpine-induced epileptic model rats at 6 h, 24 h, 72 h, 7 d, 14 d, 30 d, and 60 d after status epilepticus. Npas4 was localized primarily in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm of neurons. The Npas4 protein levels increased in the acute phase of seizures (between 6 h and 72 h) and decreased in the chronic phases (between 7 d and 60 d) in the rat model. Npas4 expression was knocked down by specific siRNA interference . Then, the animals were treated with pilocarpine, and the effects on seizures were evaluated on the 7th day . The onset latencies of pilocarpine-induced seizures were decreased, while the seizure frequency, duration and attack rate increased in these rats. Our study indicates that Npas4 inhibits seizure attacks in pilocarpine-induced epileptic rats.