Effect of Kainate-Induced Experimental Epilepsy on NADPH-Diaphorase and Calcium-Binding Proteins in Rat Hippocampal Neurons

Experimental epilepsy induced in rats by infusion of kainic acid into the lateral cerebral ventricles decreased the number of NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons in the hippocampal formation by 55–79% and increased activity of this enzyme in CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons. All parvalbumin-immunoreactive cells were highly resistant to the cytotoxic effects of kainate in contrast to calbindin- and calretinin-positive interneurons, whose amount decreased by 50%.__________Translated from Byulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 139, No. 3, pp. 287–290, March, 2005