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Effets protecteurs du « brain-derived neurotrophic factor » sur l’embrasement de l’hippocampe Volume 9, issue 1, Mars 1997

Authors
  • Page(s) : 7
  • Published in: 1997

In different animal models of epilepsy, the expression of neurotrophins is modulated by focal or generalized convulsive seizures. For instance, the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is markedly increased in the hippocampus. The significance of this increase was investigated by studying the effects of chronic (7 days) hippocampal infusions of BDNF during kindling in the rat. Hippocampal kindling is delayed in animals treated with BDNF as compared to control animals. This protective effect of BDNF is dose-dependent and remains effective several days after the end of the perfusion period. Amygdala infusion of BDNF partially blocks kindling of this structure. These results provide in vivo evidence for a protective role of BDNF on epileptogenesis in the adult brain, which may involve long term genomic regulations such as neuronal sprouting or neuropeptide synthesis.