RU486 Mitigates Hippocampal Pathology Following Status Epilepticus.

ABSTRACT: Status epilepticus (SE) induces rapid hyper-activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. HPA axis hyperactivity results in excess exposure to high levels of circulating glucocorticoids, which are associated with neurotoxicity and depression-like behavior. These observations have led to the hypothesis that HPA axis dysfunction may exacerbate SE-induced brain injury. To test this hypothesis, we used the mouse pilocarpine model of epilepsy to determine whether use of the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486 can attenuate hippocampal pathology following SE. Excess glucocorticoid secretion was evident 1 day after SE in the mice, preceding the development of spontaneous seizures (which can take weeks to develop). RU486 treatment blocked the SE-associated elevation of gl

SUBMITTER: Wulsin AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5124765 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature