The Correlation Between Gap Junction And Epilepsy And Regulation Of MAPK Pathway

Objective In order to investigate the role of Gap Junction(GJ) in the generation and developing of epilepsy,and explore the regulation by MAPK pathway and Calcineurin,we examined the expression of connexin43(Cx43),CX32, extracellular-signal regulated kinase 1(ERK1) and Calcineurin(CaN)in epileptogenic focus and surrounding brain of intractable epilepsy patients.Methods Thirty intractable epilepsy patients were extracted the epileptogenic focus with the monitoring of ECC,,by using immunohistochemical staining(the two step method),the expression of Cx43,CX32,ERK1 and CaN in the epileptogenic focus and the surrounding brain of the patients were examined.The results were dealt with the statistical method.Results The result of the immunohistochemistry staining showed that Cx43,Cx32,ERK1 and CaN were expressed in the epileptogenic focus and the surrounding brain.The espression of Cx43,ERK1 and CaN in the epileptogenic focus has increased obviously in comparion with the surrounding brain(P＜0.01),and the expression of CX32 showed no obvious difference between the epileptogenic focus and the surrounding brain.(P＞0.05)Conclusions Immunohistochemistry revealed that the espression of Cx43,ERK1 and CaN in the epileptogenic focus has increased obviously in comparion with the surrounding brain,this prove GJ play an important role in the generation and developing of epilepsy,and ERK1 and CaN participate the regulation of expression of Cx.The increased expression and disorderly distribution of Cx43 protein in the epileptogenic focus may be related with the abnormal activation and disequilibria of regulation of ERK1 and CaN.The expression of CX32 showed no obvious difference between the epileptogenic focus and the surrounding brain,this may be related with the apoptosis of the neurons after long-term seizures.