Astrocyte Alterations in the Hippocampus Following Pilocarpine-induced Seizures in Aged Rats

It is known that the incidence of epilepsy increases with age, but only a few studies have investigated the consequences and mechanisms of seizure and epilepsy in aged animals. Astrocytic changes are known to directly influence neuronal excitability and seizure susceptibility. However, information regarding alterations to astrocytes after seizures in aged animals is lacking in the literature. In the present study, the density and morphology of astrocytes expressing GFAP were investigated in the hippocampus of aged rats that experienced status epilepticus induced by pilocarpine. One month after seizures, astrocytes in aged rats have increased volume and present activated morphology. Despite these morphological changes, the density of astrocytes was not altered in the hippocampus of aged rats after seizures.