Differential effects of kindled and electrically induced seizures on a glutamate receptor (GluR1) gene expression

To address the question of whether the mode of seizure induction contributes to the effects of seizures on glutamate receptor gene expression, we examined rat dorsal hippocampal slides by in situ hybridization after kindling by electrical stimulation of the amygdala, or after electrically induced tonic-clonic seizures. Levels of a glutamate receptor subtype (GluR1) mRNA were analyzed at three periods post kindled seizures and found to be decreased only in brains that were obtained 24 h after the last kindled seizure. This downregulation of GluR1 mRNA was transient and was observed only in animals that had behavioral manifestations after being electrically stimulated. It is probable that maintenance of the kindled state cannot be explained by a long-lasting change in GluR1 gene expression. Repeated electroshock-induced seizures increased GluR1 mRNA levels in the hippocampus. Our results show that mode of induction is an important determinant of the effects of seizures on the levels of expression of a glutamate receptor gene.