Expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor T in brains of patients with intractable epilepsy and rats after pilocarpine induced seizures

Abstract

Objective To investigate the expression changes of the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor T (PTPRT) in temporal lobe epileptic foci in the experimental animals and epileptic patients and the relationship between PTPRT and epileptogenesis. Methods After getting the epilepsy lobe tissue from the experimental and control groups, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis were used to assess the expression of PTPRT and its changes. Results In the temporal lobe tissue of intractable patients and control group, PTPRT was mainly expressed in the neurons. PTPRT was significantly increased in patients with intractable epilepsy (0.277±0.048) than that in the control group（0.171±0.025; t=9.586,P<0.05）. PTPRT was mainly expressed in the neurons in the temporal lobe brain tissue of the rats in the control group and experimental group. Compared with control group，the expression of PTPRT in the temporal lobe tissue was increased within 24 h post-seizure, and decreased 1 and 2 weeks post-seizure, then it was increased 1 and 2 months post-seizure （A ratio: control 0.443±0.039，6 h 0.840±0.032,24 h 1.113±0.064，7 d 0.564±0.039，14 d 0.570±0.029，30 d 0.899±0.034,60 d 1.011±0.074，F=256.427，P<0.05）. Conclusions Through researches into the expression and function of PTPRT in the temporal lobe brain tissue of patients with intractable epilepsy and animal models, we presume that the PTPRT plays a role in the synapses reorganization and mossy fiber sprouting, and participates in the reconstruction of the neural network which leads to the intractable epilepsy. Key words: Epilepsy; temporal lobe; Receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatases; class 2; Mossy fibers; hippocampal; Temporal lobe; Disease models; animal