Elevated Levels of Proinflammatory Cytokines Interleukin-1beta, Interleukin-6, and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha in Rats after Kainic Acid-induced Seizures

Lim, Kwon Il; Kim, Kwang Soo; Lee, Ji Hyun; Kim, Min Jeong; Kim, Jong Kuk; Yoo, Bong Goo

Abstract

PURPOSE: The cerebral inflammatory reactions accompanied with epilepsy could play a role in intervening the possible changes of cerebral molecular structure during or after seizure. This study was intended to examine how much proinflammatory cytokines like interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha are expressed in animal model with seizures of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and how their concentration in serum changes on the basis of phase, so that it could determine possible association between the development of epileptic seizures and the expression of cytokines.
METHODS
Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats as experimental group had kainic acid (KA) administered intraperitonealy, and then, their behavioral patterns were monitored and recorded. In 4 and 24 hours after KA was administered, their bloods were taken respectively to determine the concentration of cytokines. The serum concentrations of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha were measured by means of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The concentrations of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha were compared with controls, and also the phased variations of their concentration were determined.
RESULTS
All rats in experimental group revealed various behaviors and seizure reactions. The serum concentrations of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha taken from rats in 4 and 24 hours after KA administration were more significantly increased than controls respectively (p<0.01). There was no significant variation in concentration of IL-1beta and IL-6 based on time phase, but there was significantly higher concentration of TNF-alpha in serum taken in 24 hours after KA administration than in 4 hours (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
These results show that seizure activity causes the elevation of proinflammatory cytokines and activates inflammatory reactions.