Leptomycin B ameliorates vasogenic edema formation induced by status epilepticus via inhibiting p38 MAPK/VEGF pathway

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption during brain insults leads to vasogenic edema as one of the primary steps in the epileptogenic process. However, the signaling pathway concerning vasogenic edema formation has not been clarified. In the present study, status epilepticus (SE) resulted in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) over-expression accompanied by loss of BBB integrity in the rat piriform cortex. Leptomycin B (LMB, an inhibitor of chromosome region maintenance 1) attenuated SE-induced vasogenic edema formation. This anti-edema effect of LMB was relevant to inhibitions of VEGF over-expression as well as p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation. Furthermore, SB202190 (a p38 MAPK inhibitor) ameliorated vasogenic edema and VEGF over-expression induced by SE. These findings indicate that p38 MAPK/VEGF signaling pathway may be involved in BBB disruption following SE. Thus, we suggest that p38 MAPK/VEGF axis may be one of therapeutic targets for vasogenic edema in various neurological diseases.