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Updated: Apr 24, 2026
Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins
Published on: August 15, 2017
Dynamic Change in Cells Expressing IL-1β in Rat Hippocampus after Status Epilepticus
Satoru Sakuma1, Daisuke Tokuhara1, Hiroshi Otsubo2
1Department of Pediatrics, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Background:
The time course of cytokine dynamics after seizure remains controversial. Here we evaluated the changes in the levels and sites of interleukin (IL)-1β expression over time in the hippocampus after seizure.
Methods:
Status epilepticus (SE) was induced in adult Wistar rats by means of intraperitoneal injection of kainic acid (KA). Subsequently, the time courses of cellular localization and IL-1β concentration in the hippocampus were evaluated by means of immunohistochemical and quantitative assays.
Results:
On day 1 after SE, CA3 pyramidal cells showed degeneration and increased IL-1β expression. In the chronic phase (>7 days after SE), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive reactive astrocytes-appeared in CA1 and became IL-1β immunoreactive. Their IL-1β immunoreactivity increased in proportion to the progressive hypertrophy of astrocytes that led to gliosis. Quantitative analysis showed that hippocampal IL-1β concentration progressively increased during the acute and chronic phases.
Conclusion:
IL-1β affects the hippocampus after SE. In the acute phase, the main cells expressing IL-1β were CA3 pyramidal cells. In the chronic phase, the main cells expressing IL-1β were reactive astrocytes in CA1.
