Abstracts

Rationale: Electronic conduction, a new treatment approach for epilepsy have been confirmed can clearly reduce epileptiform discharge on EEG and convulsive behaviors, particularly epileptic discharge propagation and serious behavioral seizures in rats with kainic acid (KA)-induced temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Hippocampal cell apoptosis was examined to confirm the neuroprotective effect of electronic conduction therapy in KA-induced TLE rats in this study. Methods: Rats were divided into four groups: control group (right CA3 injection of saline), KA group (right CA3 injection of KA), sham conduction group (KA rats with sham conduction), and conduction group (KA rats with electric conduction). Apoptotic cells were evaluated by flow cytometry, TUNEL staining, and mRNA expression levels of caspase-3, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and glial fibrillary acidic protein measured by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: The rats' frequency of convulsive behaviors in the conduction group decreased significantly compared with the KA group and the sham conduction group. Significantly fewer apoptotic cells were detected in rats with conduction using flow cytometry and TUNEL staining. The qRT-PCR results indicated that the KA-induced up-regulation of hippocampal caspase-3 mRNA expression was reduced at 24 hours after KA injection in rats that received conduction treatment. Conclusions: Electronic conduction treatment can reduce seizure frequency and hippocampal cell apoptosis in KA-induced TLE rats. Funding: National Nature & Science Foundation (81000555) Beijing Technology & Science New-star Training Project (2010B084)