Alterations of seizure-induced c-fos immunolabelling and gene expression in the rat cerebral cortex following dexamethasone treatment

SummaryWe examined the effects of dexamethasone on the expression of the inducible transcription factor c-fos in 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) seizures. Induction of c-fos mRNA due to 4-AP-elicited convulsion was detected by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in samples from the neocortex. Adult male rats were pretreated with different doses of dexamethasone (0.5, 1, 3, 5 mg/kg body weight); 1 h later 5 mg/kg 4-AP was injected intraperitoneally. Controls received the solvent of dexamethasone. Pretreatment with dexamethasone provided significant symptomatic protection against 4-AP-induced convulsions. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the presence of the c-fos protein. The number of Fos-immunoreactive nuclei per section area was measured in the neocortex and hippocampus. Pretreatment with dexamethasone resulted in a dose-dependent, significant decrease of seizure-induced Fos-protein immunoreactivity in the neocortex, in the hilum of the dentate fascia, as well as in regions CA1-3 of the hippocampus, compared to control animals. Brains processed for mRNA isolation and PCR, displayed a significant increase of c-fos mRNA following the 4-AP treatment, while pretreatment with dexamethasone did not prevent or decrease this boosted c-fos mRNA expression. We conclude that seizure-induced c-fos expression and intracellular Fos-protein localization are mediated by transmitter and receptor systems, and dexamethasone significantly decreases Fos immunoreactivity, probably by regulating the intracellular traffic of the protein. We also conclude that dexamethasone does not interfere with the genomic regulation of c-fos mRNA synthesis.