Regionally selective stimulation of mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase tyrosine phosphorylation after generalized...

Immunoblot analysis using a phosphotyrosine-specific antibody was performed to investigate tyrosine phosphorylation of the mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase in the rat brain. Epileptic seizures induced by systemic injection of bicuculline caused a rapid and transient stimulation of MAP kinase tyrosine phosphorylation in hippocampus and somatosensory cortex. This increase in tyrosine phosphorylation was markedly attenuated by the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK-801. In contrast, in the cerebellum, tyrosine phosphorylation of MAP kinase remained undetectable after bicuculline-induced seizures. These results demonstrate that generalized seizures stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of MAP kinase in a regionally selective manner.