Alteration of mitochondrial function and ultrastructure in the hippocampus of pilocarpine-treated rat

Present studies were carried out to decipher seizure-dependent changes in mitochondrial function and ultrastructure in rat hippocampus after status epilepticus (SE) induced by pilocarpine (PILO). Discernible mitochondrial ultrastructural damage was observed in the hippocampus. Enzyme assay revealed cytochrome oxidase (COX) activity significantly increased 3 h after SE, decreased 7 d and 45 d after SE, whereas succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity displayed no significant changes. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting showed that COX III (mitochondrial-encoded) mRNA and protein level were significantly increased at 3 h, decreased to the control level on 7 d and dropped significantly on 45 d; the corresponding expression of COX IV were not changed by PILO at any time tested. The results were also supported by immunohistochemistry. Thus, our results demonstrate that dysfunction of mitochondrial complex IV respiratory enzyme and mitochondrial ultrastructural damage in the hippocampus are associated with prolonged seizure during experimental temporal lobe epilepsy and mitochondria are more vulnerable to epileptic damage.