Objective To investigate the expression of glutathione S-transferase π (Glutathione S-transferase π, GST-π) protein in peripheral blood and brain of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy and refractory epilepsy rats. Meth?ods From January 2010 to March 2014, the expression of GST-πin the blood and brain of 32 cases of drug-resistant epi?lepsy underwent neurosurgery and 10 cases of cerebral vascular malformation underwent surgery were studied and com?pared. The expression of GST-πin the blood and brain in refractory epilepsy rats and normal rats were studied and com?pared. Results The specimen from 20 temporal, 6 frontal and 6 occipital lobes were obtained from drug-resistant epilep?sy patients. The expression levels of GST-πin the blood and brain in refractory epilepsy rats and normal rats were higher than those of the control groups (P<0.05). Conclusion GST-πmay be involved in the process of drug-resistant epilepsy. The GST-πexpression in blood may be used as a marker for resistance to anti-epileptic agents.

Mossy cells(MC)are a type of astrocyte that make up a large percentage of the cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus(DG).However,its structure,function and role in neurological disorders remain largely unclear.Changes in local circuit inputs to MC during seizures alter the excitatory-inhibitory homeostatic balance of the loop,leading to changes in disease.The net inhibitory effect on the hippocampal network exerted by surviving MC,thus providing protection against seizures.Furthermore,increased expression of c-fos protein in MC enhances memory for novelty and also improves cognitive performance by reducing anxiety.This article reviews the role of MC in the dentate gyrus loop and its value in disease management.