Hippocampal quinolinic acid concentrations in epileptogenesis in rats
Abstract
AIM:
To study the changes of hippocampal quinolinic acid (QA) concentrations during acute and chronic seizures induced by ip injection of kainic acid (KA, 12 mg kg-1) in rats.
METHODS:
The extraction and measurement of QA in the hippocampus were performed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method.
RESULTS:
When acute seizures were fully established 3 h after KA injection, no significant changes of hippocampal QA were found. During chronic seizures observed on d 30 after KA injection, there was even a 55 +/- 8% significant decrease. When neither acute nor chronic seizures were detectable but astroglial proliferation in the hippocampus and secondary neuronal degeneration in extrahippocampal regions became gradually prominent 2 d and 7 d after KA injection, there were 56 +/- 13% and 156 +/- 13% dramatic increases of hippocampal QA concentrations, respectively.
CONCLUSION:
The increase of hippocampal QA hardly plays any key role in the initiation of KA-induced seizures but may contribute to astroglial proliferation and neuronal degeneration by activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors.
Keywords:
To study the changes of hippocampal quinolinic acid (QA) concentrations during acute and chronic seizures induced by ip injection of kainic acid (KA, 12 mg kg-1) in rats.
METHODS:
The extraction and measurement of QA in the hippocampus were performed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method.
RESULTS:
When acute seizures were fully established 3 h after KA injection, no significant changes of hippocampal QA were found. During chronic seizures observed on d 30 after KA injection, there was even a 55 +/- 8% significant decrease. When neither acute nor chronic seizures were detectable but astroglial proliferation in the hippocampus and secondary neuronal degeneration in extrahippocampal regions became gradually prominent 2 d and 7 d after KA injection, there were 56 +/- 13% and 156 +/- 13% dramatic increases of hippocampal QA concentrations, respectively.
CONCLUSION:
The increase of hippocampal QA hardly plays any key role in the initiation of KA-induced seizures but may contribute to astroglial proliferation and neuronal degeneration by activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors.