Profile of prostaglandin levels in the rat hippocampus in pilocarpine model of epilepsy.

Pilocarpine (PILO) administered to rats acutely induces status epilepticus (acute period), which is followed by a transient seizure-free period (silent period), and finally by a chronic phase of spontaneous recurrent seizures (chronic period, SRS) that lasts for the rest of animal's life. Hippocampal neurochemical changes following PILO administration include alteration in monoamines and amino acids content during all phases of this epilepsy model. The present work was delineated to study the content of prostaglandins (PG) levels in hippocampus during the three phases of this model. The levels of PG E2, PG F2 alpha and PG D2 were measured by radioimmunoassay 1 h after PILO, 5 h after PILO, during the silent period, and interictally into the chronic period. The results show, in hippocampus of rats, increase of PG F2 alpha and PG D2 during status epilepticus, increase of PG D2 during the silent period and increase of PG E2 and PG D2 during the chronic phase, when compared with control group. These changes match previously reported alteration in monoamines and amino acid levels, showing that altered neurotransmission is accompanied by changes in second messengers and enzyme activity related to PG production during all phases of the epilepsy model.