Long-term effects of bubble baths on seizure-induced neurobehavioral deficits in newborn rats and related gene expressions in the hippocampus / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the long-term effects of bubble baths on seizure-induced neurobehavior deficits and the expression of apoptotic/autophagic marker B cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 ( Bcl-2 ),Beclin-1,and plasticity-related gene-1 ( PRG-1 ) in newborn rats. MethodsSixty rats aged 6 days were randomly divided into 4 groupsa control group (CON),a control hydrotherapy group (HCON),a recurrent-seizure group (RS) and a recurrent-seizure hydrotherapy group (HRS),with 15 in each group.Flurothyl was used to induce 30 min of seizures daily for 6 consecutive days in the RS and HRS groups.Rats in the CON and HCON groups were placed in the same container for equal duration without exposure to flurothyl.Rats in the HCON and HRS groups were given bubble baths for 28 consecutive days after the end of the last seizure.Neurobehavioral damage was observed using open field behavior at postnatal day 26 (P26) and Morris water maze performance at postnatal day 43 to 49 (P43-P49) and a single-blind method.PRG-1,Bcl-2 and Beclin-1 protein levels in the hippocampus were detected by Western blotting at postnatal day 50 (P50). Results①The average open field test scores of the RS rats decreased significantly compared with those of the CON and HRS rats at P26.②In the Morris water maze test the average latencies of all rats decreased gradually from the 1st to 5th days (d1 to d5) after establishment of seizure model.The average escape latency was significantly longer for rats of the RS group than for CON group rats at the 4th and 5th days ( d4 and d5 ) after establishment of seizure model.The escape latency was significantly shorter for rats of the HRS group than for RS group rats at d4.③The level of Bcl-2 protein in the hippocampus was much lower in the RS group than in the HRS and control groups.In addition,the expression of PRG-1 in the RS group was significantly higher than in the CON group. ConclusionsRecurrent prolonged seizures cause long-term neurobehavior deficits,which might be associated with the down-regulated expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulated expression of PRG-1 in the hippocampus.Bubble baths can improve the neurobehavioral sequelae from seizures,perhaps through up-regulation of hippocampal Bcl-2 expression.