Nitric oxide and gamma-aminobutyric acid as regulators of neurogenesis in the brain of adult mammals: Models of seizure activity

New neurons are known to be generated in the brain of adult mammals throughout their entire life in the area of the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus. The regulatory mechanisms of neurogenesis are complex and poorly understood. Numerous studies performed during the last decade have shown that the intensity of generation of new cells in the germinative regions of the brain is significantly influenced by various environmental factors. Pronounced changes in neurogenesis were also found in the models of various pathologies of the central nervous system (such as neurodegeneration, brain ischemia, and epilepsy). This review is focused on the regulation of neurogenesis in the brain of adult mammals in the course of experimental epilepsy. The involvement of nitric oxide and gamma-aminobutyric acid in the regulation of the proliferation and differentiation of brain cells during seizure activity is discussed.