Neuroglobin is up-regulated in the cerebellum of pups exposed to maternal epileptic seizures

To evaluate a potential insult in the cerebellum of pups exposed to maternal epileptic seizures during intrauterine life, female rats were subjected to pilocarpine-induced epilepsy. Pups from different litters were sacrificed at 1, 3, 7 and 14 post-natal days (PN) and neuroglobin (Ngb) and gliosis were analyzed in the cerebellum by Western blotting (WB) and RT-PCR. 14C-l-leucine-[14C-Leu] incorporation was used to analyze protein synthesis at PN1. Nitric Oxide (NO) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) levels were also measured. Pups from naive mothers were used as controls. The mRNA level of Ngb was increased in experimental animals at PN1 (**p ≤ 0.001) and PN3 (**p ≤ 0.001), at PN7 (***p ≤ 0.0001) and at PN14 (**p ≤ 0.001) compared to the respective controls. The protein level of Ngb increased significantly in the experimental pups at PN1 (*p ≤ 0.05) and at PN3 (**p ≤ 0.001), when compared to the control pups at PN1 and PN3. At PN7 and PN14 no difference was found. The mRNA level of GFAP increased significantly about two times at PN3 (*p ≤ 0.05) and PN7 (*p ≤ 0.05) in the experimental pups when compared to the respective controls, but was unchanged in the other studied ages. Data showed that experimental pups at PN1 exhibited reduced (about 2 times, *p ≤ 0.05) total protein synthesis in the cerebellum when compared to control. No differences were found in the NO and TBARS levels. Our data support the hypothesis that an up-regulation of Ngb could be a compensatory mechanism in response to the hypoxic–ischemic insults caused by seizures in pups during intrauterine life.

► We studied the effects of hypoxic–ischemic insult in the pups of epileptic mother.
► We found an up-regulation of binding-oxygen protein in the cerebellum of pups.
► We found a decrease of protein synthesis in the cerebellum of pups at birth.
► Up-regulation of Ngb could be a neuroprotective compensatory mechanism.