Neuroprotective effect of anterior thalamic nuclei stimulation on hippocampal neurons in epileptic monkeys

Abstract

Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effects of anterior thalamic nuclei(ANT)stimulation on hippocampal neurons in epileptic monkeys. Methods Eight male rhesus monkeys were randomly assigned to a model control group, a sham-stimulation group, and a stimulation group. A monkey model of temporal lobe epilepsy was induced by injection of kainic acid in the left hippocampus. The seizure frequency was compared in each group. At 6 months after modeling, immunohistochemical method was used to observe the pathological injury and fibrosis in hippocampal tissue. Western blot was used to quantitatively analyze the contents of heat shock protein-70(HSP-70), NeuN, and caspase-3 in hippocampal tissue. Results All animals that received the kainic acid injections had seizures. The total number of seizures in the stimulation group was 11.2±2.3 times, compared with 21.0±4.8 times in the sham-stimulation group, it decreased 42.8%(P 0.05). The content of NeuN in sham-stimulation group was significantly lower than that in the control group and the stimulation group(P<0.01, P<0.05). The content of Caspase-3 in sham-stimulation group was significantly higher than that in the control group and the stimulation group(P<0.01, P<0.05). Conclusions Long-term ANT stimulation may reduce the hippocampal injury and gliosis in temporal lobe epilepsy monkeys. This may be an important mechanism of ANT stimulation for the treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy. Key words: Epilepsy, temporal lobe; Anterior thalamic nuclei; Deep brain stimulation; Hippocampus; Rhesus monkeys