RGD Reference Report - Hippocampal kindling epileptogenesis upregulates neuronal cyclooxygenase-2 expression in neocortex. - Rat Genome Database

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Hippocampal kindling epileptogenesis upregulates neuronal cyclooxygenase-2 expression in neocortex.

Authors: Tu, B  Bazan, NG 
Citation: Tu B and Bazan NG, Exp Neurol 2003 Feb;179(2):167-75.
RGD ID: 729548
Pubmed: PMID:12618123   (View Abstract at PubMed)

Recurrent and spontaneous seizures in epilepsy result from poorly defined cell signaling aberrations thought to include synaptic and extracellular matrix remodeling. Here we have used a rat hippocampal kindling model to study cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expression in epileptogenesis. COX-2, encoded in an early-response gene, increases in a synaptic activity-dependent fashion and also during kainic acid-induced hippocampal damage. We found that during kindling, COX-2 induction occurred initially only in hippocampal neurons, and then spread to neocortical neurons. When rats were rekindled 34 days later, this spreading of COX-2 expression persisted. Induction of hippocampal and neocortical cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)), an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of COX-2 substrate arachidonic acid (AA), occurred after 4 days of stimulation during kindling and rekindling. Moreover the COX-2 selective inhibitor nimesulide attenuated kindling development. We conclude that neuronal COX-2 gene induction and cPLA(2) activation are key signaling events in epileptogenesis.

Objects referenced in this article
Gene Pla2g4a phospholipase A2 group IVA Rattus norvegicus
Gene Ptgs2 prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 Rattus norvegicus

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