To investigate the effects of conducting electrodes implanted into the penicillin-induced epilepsy foci in rats on seizures, 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into experimental group (EG) and control group (CG). Afer penicillin(PNC) administration, metal electrode was implanted into the epilepsy focus in EG. Behavior evaluations were given after PNC injection in both groups and electroencephalogram recordings were taken respectively. Immunohistochemical methods were used to test the expressions of P38 and Calcium channel a 1A subunit (CACNA1A) at the serial time-point. We found that EG showed reduction of epileptic discharge frequency than did CG at time-point 3 h and 6 h, and that P38 expressions of EG were lower than those of CG in the injected side, and the expressions of Calcium channel a 1A subunit (CACNA1A) were downregulated in EG at time-point 6 h and 24 h. This evidence suggests that the metal electrode implanted into the penicillin-induced epilepsy focus may reduce the epileptic discharges and downregulate the expressions of P38 and CACNA1A. This new idea might be used in antiepileptic field in future.
Animals ; Calcium Channels ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Electrodes, Implanted ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; chemically induced ; therapy ; Male ; Penicillins ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism