Lithium/Pilocarpine Status Epilepticus-Induced
Neuropathology of Piriform Cortex and Adjoining Structures in
Rats is Age-Dependent
R. DRUGA1,2, H.
KUBOVÁ1, L. SUCHOMELOVÁ1, R.
HAUGVICOVÁ1
1Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences
of the Czech Republic and 2Department of
Functional Anatomy, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles
University, Prague, Czech Republic
Received
March 8, 2002
Accepted May 30, 2002
Summary
Distribution of LiCl/pilocarpine status epilepticus-induced
neuronal damage was studied in the piriform cortex and in
adjoining structures in 12-day-old, 25-day-old and adult rats.
No distinct structural and neuronal alterations were detected in
the basal telencephalon in 12-day-old rats surviving status
epilepticus (SE) for one week or two months. In 25-day-old rats
a decrease in Nissl staining was evident. There was also cell
loss and gliosis in the caudal 2/3 of the piriform cortex, in
the superficial amygdaloid nuclei, in the dorsal and ventral
endopiriform nucleus and in the rostrolateral part of the
entorhinal cortical area. In adult animals, the topography of
neuropathological changes in the basal telencephalon was
comparable to those in 25-day-old rats. The damage in the caudal
2/3 or caudal half of the piriform cortex in adult rats with
survival times one week or two months was characterized by a
marked loss of neurons and striking glial infiltration. The
thickness of the piriform cortex and superficial amygdaloid
nuclei was significantly reduced. In 25-day-old and in adult
animals the sublayer IIb and layer III of the piriform cortex
was more affected, while sublayer IIa was less damaged.
Parvalbumin (PV) immunocytochemistry revealed a significant
decrease in the number of PV-immunoreactive neurons in the
rostral piriform cortex and in the dorsal claustrum in animals
surviving for two months.
Key
words
Epilepsy • Piriform cortex • Endopiriform nucleus • Basal
telencephalon • Pilocarpine • Parvalbumin
Reprint
requests
R. Druga, M.D., D.Sc., Institute of Physiology, Academy of
Sciences of the Czech Republic, Vídeňská 1083,
CZ-142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic. E-mail:
Druga@biomed.cas.cz
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