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Yan BC, Xu P, Gao M, Wang J, Jiang D, Zhu X, Won MH, Su PQ. Changes in the Blood-Brain Barrier Function Are Associated With Hippocampal Neuron Death in a Kainic Acid Mouse Model of Epilepsy. Front Neurol 2018; 9:775. [PMID: 30258402 PMCID: PMC6143688 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The kainic acid (KA)-induced epilepsy experimental model is widely used to study the mechanisms underlying this disorder. Recently, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has become an innovative alternative treatment target for epilepsy patients. KA causes neuronal injury and BBB damage in this experimental epilepsy model but the mechanisms underlying epilepsy-related neuronal injury, autophagy, and BBB damage remain unclear. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationships among neuronal injury, the expressions of autophagy-related proteins, and changes in BBB-related proteins during the acute phase of epilepsy to further understand the mechanisms and pharmacotherapy of epilepsy. NeuN immunohistochemistry and Fluoro-Jade B (FJ-B) staining in the hippocampal CA3 region revealed that neuronal death induced by intraventricular injections of 10 μg/kg KA was greater than that induced by 3 μg/kg KA. In addition, there were transient increases in the levels of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3-II (LC3I/II) and Beclin-1, which are autophagy-related proteins involved in neuronal death, in this region 24 h after the administration of 10 μg/kg KA. There were also morphological changes in BBB-related cells such as astrocytes, endothelial cells (ECs), and tight junctions (TJs). More specifically, there was a significant increase in the activation of astrocytes 72 h after the administration of 10 μg/kg KA as well as continuous increases in the expressions of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) and BBB-related TJ proteins (Zonula occludens-1 and Claudin-5) until 72 h after KA treatment. These results suggest that the overexpression of autophagy-related proteins and astrocytes and transient increases in the expressions of BBB-related TJ proteins may be closely related to autophagic neuronal injury. These findings provide a basis for the identification of novel therapeutic targets for patients with epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Chun Yan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Department of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China
| | - Pei Xu
- Department of Neurology, Haian Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Haian, China
| | - Manman Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Department of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Department of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Dan Jiang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Department of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Xiaolu Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Department of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Moo-Ho Won
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Pei Qing Su
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Department of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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