Vagus nerve stimulation inhibiting multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 over-expression in drug refractory epilepsy rats / 中华神经医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the effect of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on the expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP1) in brains of rats with drug refractory epilepsy.Methods Rat models based on the lithium-pilocarpine epileptic rats were induced with sodium phenobarbital (PB).Then,the rats were randomly divided into three groups:VNS group (n=7),sham-VNS group (n=6) and control group (n=6); VNS through stimulation device was given to the rats in the VNS group,stimulation device without VNS was given to the rats in the sham-VNS group,and rats in the control group were only given conventional feeding.Behavioral changes and number of seizures were recorded by continuous video monitoring during the whole process.And the amount of MRP1 over-expression in each group was detected following a four-week VNS.Results (1) The seizure frequency in VNS group (2.6±1.0 per week) was significantly decreased as compared with that in sham-VNS group (5.3±1.1 per week) or control group (5.2±1.3 per week) after a four-week VNS (P＜0.05).(2) The MRP1 expression in VNS group had significantly statistical differences as compared with that in the sham-VNS group and control group (the absorbance values:9120±1496,19556±1462 and 20231±1710,P＜0.05).Conclusion VNS can effectively decrease the seizures frequency through reducing the MRP1 over-expression.