Abstract
Rationale: Neonatal seizures are the most common manifestation of neurological dysfunction in the neonate. Animal data indicate that seizures during development are associated with a high probability of long-term adverse effects such as learning and memory impairment and behavioral changes, but the mechanisms underlying those effects are not completely understood. This study quantified the expression of proteins involved in synaptic transmission (PSD-95, KCC2, and GABAT-1). Methods: The experimental group (EXP) received pilocarpine (380 mg/kg, i.p.), and the control group (CTR) received saline at postnatal day 9. At postnatal day 100, the animals (n= 4 per group) were euthanized, and the hippocampi were dissected for Western blot analysis. The results were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney test. Results: The immunoblot data showed an increase in GABT1, PSD-95, and KCC2 in the experimental group as compared with control rats. Discussion/conclusions: The enhanced expression of PSD-95 suggested a facilitation of the excitatory synaptic transmission, which could be counterbalanced by an increase in both KCC2 expression and GABAT-1 expression, a potential strategy to protect the brain from a new insult. These data raise the interesting possibility that neonatal seizures lead to an imbalance between excitatory neurotransmission and inhibitory neurotransmission.
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