Exp Mol Med.  2002 May;34(2):167-171.

Induction of Bis, a Bcl-2-binding protein, in reactive astrocytes of the rat hippocampus following kainic acid-induced seizure

• Lee MY
• Kim SY
• Choi JS
• Choi YS
• Jeon MH
• Lee JH
• Kim IK
• Lee JH

Abstract

The expression of Bis (also called Bag-3), a Bcl-2-binding protein, was investigated in the rat kainic acid (KA) model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Western blot analysis showed a significant increase in the expression levels of Bis protein in the hippocampus following the systemic administration of KA. Bis immunoreactivity increased preferentially in the CA1 and CA3 regions, as well as in the hilar region of the dentate gyrus. Experiments with double immunofluorescence revealed that, in KA-administered rats, the cells expressing Bis were GFAP-expressing reactive astrocytes. The increase in Bis immunoreactivity was accompanied by increased Bcl-2 in reactive astrocytes in the striatum radiatum, whereas Bcl-2 immunoreactivity in pyramidal neurons was not affected. These results of the co-expression of Bis and Bcl-2 in reactive astrocytes in this seizure model suggest that Bis might modulate the glial reaction under excitotoxic brain injury, probably by interacting with Bcl-2.

MeSH Terms

Animals
Apoptosis
Astrocytes/*metabolism
Blotting, Western
Carrier Proteins/*biosynthesis
Disease Models, Animal
Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/chemically induced/*metabolism
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Hippocampus/*metabolism/pathology
Kainic Acid
Male
Neurons/physiology
Protein Binding
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley