Oxidative and antioxidative balance and neuron apoptosis in the hippocampus of the developing rats following recurrent seizures

Objective To investigate the changes of oxidative and antioxidative balance and their relationships with neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus of the developing rats following recurrent seizures.Methods 96 postnatal SD rats of 20-day old were randomly divided into two groups:the control group and the seizure group.Seizure model of rats were induced by inhalant flurothyl daily in 6 consecutive days.Brain tissue was sampled at 6 h,1 d,3 d and 7 d in each group after last seizure,and the content of MDA,SOD activity and the level of T-AOC were detected,meanwhile neuronal apoptosis was also detected by TdT-mediated Dutp-biotin nick end labeling(TUNEL).Results In seizure group,the content of MDA in the hippocampus was much higher than those in control group at post-seizure 6 h,1 d,3 d(P0.01),the activity of SOD and the level of T-AOC were obviously lower than those in control group(P0.01),and up to peak at post-seizure 1 d,but there were no significant difference between the two groups at post-seizure 7 d(P0.05).Neuronal apoptosis did not increase at post-seizure 6 h,but markedly increased at post-seizure 1 d and lasted until 7 d(P0.01).Conclusions After recurrent seizures,MDA content and neuron apoptosis increased significantly,SOD activity and T-AOC level decreased obviously.The changes of MDA content,SOD activity and T-AOC level were earlier than that of neuronal apoptosis.It might indicate that oxidant damage and decreasing antioxidant capacity were probably involved in the neuronal apoptosis after recurrent seizures in developing rats.