STUDIES OF QINGYANGSHEN (Ⅱ): MODULATORY EFFECT OF CO-TREATMENT WITH QINGYANGSHEN AND DIPHENYLHYDANTOIN SODIUM ON RAT HIPPOCAMPAL c-fos EXPRESSION DURING SEIZURES

We have reported that, after KA treatment in rats, there was first a significant increase hi hippocampal c-fos expression daring acute seizures and then a long-term inhibition in hippocampal c-fos expression duing chronic seizures. In this experiment, we examined the modulatory effect of Qingyangshen (QYS), a traditional Chinese medicine with antiepileptic property, and diphenylhydantoin sodium (DPH) on hippocampal c-fos expression during seizures. We found that after intra peritonea I injection of QYS+DPH (15 mg/ kg and 50 mg/ kg respectively, q.o.d. x 6), the peak level of hippocampal c-fos mRNA induction during KA-in-duced acute seizures was reduced by 56.27%; while the inhibition of hippocampal c-fos expression during KA-induced chronic seizures was disinhibited to control level. It is suggested that the inhibitory effect of QYS+DPH on KA-induced seizures, chronic seizures in particular, may have much to do with its modulatory effect on hippocampal c-fos expression.