Effects of nerve growth factor on neural cells in the epileptiform discharge region of the hippocampus in children with intractable epilepsy / 中国当代儿科杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the astrocytes and neurons in the epileptiform discharge region of the hippocampus in children with intractable epilepsy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Acutely dissociated cells from the epileptiform discharge region of the hippocampus were exposed to blank control group and NGF treatment groups (NGF concentrations 12.5, 50 and 100 ng/mL). Astrocytes and neurons were identified by bisbenzimide staining combined with the specific makers such as GFAP and MAP2. The total number of neural cells was counted under an inversion fluorescence microscope. The percentage of immunostaining positive cells was calculated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 4 hrs of culture, the percentages of GFAP+ astrocytes and MAP2+ neurons in the NGF treatment groups were higher than those in the blank control group, and increased with increasing NGF concentration (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>NGF may have protective effects on GFAP+ astrocytes and MAP2+ neurons in the injured hippocampus of children with epilepsy.</p>