Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology
Polish Neuroscience Society
Subject: Behavioral Sciences , Biomedical Sciences & Nutrition , Life Sciences , Medicine , Neurosciences
ISSN: 0065-1400
eISSN: 1689-0035
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Xiaoxue Xu * / Feng Guo * / Xinze Cai / Jun Yang / Jiuhan Zhao / Dongyu Min / Qianhui Wang / Liying Hao / Jiqun Cai
Keywords : tremor rats, genetic epilepsy, somatostatin, neuropeptide Y
Citation Information : Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis. Volume 76, Issue 3, Pages 165-175, DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/ane-2017-016
License : (CC BY 4.0)
Received Date : 11-September-2015 / Accepted: 14-June-2016 / Published Online: 25-July-2017
Excessive excitation or loss of inhibitory neurotransmission has been closely related to epileptic activity. Somatostatin (SST) and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) are members of endogenous neuropeptides which are recognized as important modulator of classical neurotransmitter, distributed abundantly in mammalian central nervous system. Abnormal expression of these two neuropeptides evidenced in some epileptic models highlights the relevance of SST or NPY in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. The tremor rat (TRM)is a genetic epileptic animal model which can manifest tonic convulsions without any external stimuli. The present study aimed to investigate the distribution and expression of SST and NPY in TRM brains, including hippocampus, temporal lobe cortex and cerebellum.Our RT‑PCR data showed that up‑regulated mRNA expression of SST and NPY was discovered in TRM hippocampus and temporal lobe cortex compared with control (Wistar) rats. The peptide levels of these neuropeptides in brain areas mentioned above were both apparently higher than that in normal Wistar rats as well. However, in cerebellums, neither SST nor NPY was significantly changed compared with control group. The immunohistochemical data showed that SST and NPY were widely present throughout CA1, CA3 and the hilus of hippocampus, the entorhinal cortex of temporal lobe cortex, as well as cerebellar Purkinje layer. In conclusion, our
results discovered the aberrant changes of SST and NPY in several TRM brain regions, suggesting that the peptidergic system might be involved in TRM epileptiform activity.