ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of amyloid beta precursor-like protein 1(APLP1) gene on the transcription level in hippocampus of pilocarpine-induced epileptic rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Epileptic rats were developed by LiC1 (3 mmol/kg, i.p.) approximately 20 h prior to pilocarpine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) administration. The 3' end partial sequence of rat APLP1 gene was cloned, and the expression levels of APLP1 mRNA in hippocampus of epileptic rats at 6 h, 30 h, 7 d and 15 d were determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 3'end partial sequence of rat APLP1 gene shared a 97% homology with that of mice, and 90% with that of human. The APLP1 amino acid sequence of rat was identical with that of mouse, but was different from that of human in 3 residues. Moreover, pilocarpine induced a significant down-regulation of APLP1 mRNA expression at 6 h after epilepsy initiation (P< 0.05), and at 30 h, this down-regulation became more dramatic (P< 0.01), which lasted till day 15 (P< 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The 3' end of APLP1 gene is highly conserved, and APLP1 mRNA expression is kept at low level in hippocampus of pilocarpine-induced epileptic rats.</p>