Investigation of the Effects of Acute and Chronic PTZ Model Epilepsy in Rats Exposed to Neonatal Hyperoxia on Bdnf, Ngf, Cyt c, Bax, and Bcl-2 Gene Expression Levels in the Brain

Abstract

Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between acute and chronic epilepsy that may occur in adulthood, gene expression levels, and the possible mechanism of neuronal loss in rats exposed to hyperoxia in the postnatal period.Methods:The study was started with 12 female rats (mother rat). Two main groups were formed: six control and six hyperoxia groups. At the end of the experiment, brain tissue samples were collected and Bdnf, Ngf, Cyt c, Bax, and Bcl-2 gene expressions were studied by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Bax (Bcl-2 associated X-protein) and Cytochrome (Cyt) c gene expression levels were found to be significantly higher in the hyperoxia-epilepsy groups, especially in the male group, than in the other groups (p<0.05).Results:While the Ngf gene expression level increases significantly in females due to epilepsy, it is independent of hyperoxy (p<0.05). Bdnf gene expression levels were found to be affected by hyperoxia in both males and females (p<0.05). In our study, a significant increase in Bax and Cyt c gene expression levels was observed in the neonatal hyperoxia and epilepsy group.Conclusion:It is thought that this increase in gene expression levels molecularly supports neuronal loss, but the related pathways will be better clarified with further studies.

Keywords

• hyperoxia
• neonatal hyperoxia
• epilepsy
• gene expression