Ishige K, Ito Y, Fukuda H
Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Nihon University, Funabashi, Japan.
Neurosci Lett. 1999 Feb 26;262(1):53-6. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(99)00033-6.
The characterized nuclear cyclic AMP responsive element (CRE)- and activator protein 1 (AP-1) DNA-binding activities in various brain regions of lethargic (lh/lh) mice, a genetic model of absence seizures. Gel-shift assays showed that nuclear CRE- and AP-1 DNA-binding activities in the thalamus and cerebral cortex, but not in other regions such as the hippocampus and cerebellum of lethargic mice were significantly higher than those of non-epileptic control mice. Furthermore, CRE- and AP-1 DNA-binding activities in lethargic mice, but not control mice, were inhibited by the specific GABA(B) receptor antagonist CGP 46831, at a dose which suppressed seizure behavior and spike and wave discharges. These results suggest that enhanced nuclear CRE- and AP-1 DNA-binding activities in the thalamocortical region are related to generation and/or propagation of absence seizures in lethargic mice.
