HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON TRANSMITTER-RELATED NEURON SYSTEM UNDER EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED SEIZURES

脑干中的5-羟色胺神经元产生高度分支的纤维，这些纤维几乎支配着整个中枢神经系统，构成了其他神经递质中最丰富的神经网络。这个项目的目的是通过一种改进的免疫过氧化物酶方法来检查在实验诱导的惊厥中5-羟色胺神经元系统发生的变化。为了获得5-羟色胺能神经支配密度的定量数据，使用MOP系统计算了5-羟色胺免疫反应纤维的总长度。高温(50ﾟ℃)无惊厥的小鼠，5-羟色胺免疫反应在头端和中间水平或新纹状体显著增加，而在高温致痫小鼠的整个新纹状体5-羟色胺免疫反应明显降低。在匹罗卡品诱发惊厥的情况下，在新纹状体的吻部和尾部水平观察到5-羟色胺免疫反应显著降低，或由于全身注射匹罗卡品(350 mg/kg)而出现全身性癫痫发作的小鼠。在两种实验性惊厥模型中，新纹状体和新皮质的5-羟色胺免疫反应无明显变化，高温惊厥时新纹状体5-羟色胺的降低程度明显高于匹罗卡品惊厥。这些结果表明，纹状体5-羟色胺可能是惊厥机制中的一个重要中介，使用定量组织化学方法进行更精确的区域分析对于阐明人类神经疾病的机制是必不可少的。

Serotonin neurons in the brainstem give rise to highly branched fibers which innervate virtually the entire central nervous system, comprising the most expatisive neuronal network among other neurotransmitters. The aim of this project is to examine changes occurring in the serotonin neuron system in experimentally induced convulsions by means of a modified immunoperoxidase method. To obtain quantitative data on the density or serotonergic innervation, the total length of serotonin-immunoreactive fibers was calculated using the MOP system. A marked increase in serotonin immunoreactivity was observed at the rostral and intermediate levels or the neostriatum of mice kept at high temperature (50ﾟC) with no convulsions, and a significant reduction in serotonin immunoreactivity was verified throughout the neostriatum of mice which had hyperthermia-induced seizures. in the case or pilocarpine-induced convulsions, a significant reduction in serotonin immunoreactivity was observed at the rostral and caudal levels of the neostriatum or mice which had generalized seizures due to the systemic administration of pilocarpine (350 mg/kg). In both experimental convulsion models, the serotonin immunoreactivity remained unchanged in the paleostriatum and neocortex and the degree of serotonin reduction in the neostriatum was significantly greater in hyperthermia-induced convulsions than that in pilocarpine-induced convulsions. These results suggest that striatal serotonin may be an important mediater in the mechanism of convulsions and that more precise regional analysis using quantitative histochemical methods is essential for elucidation of the mechanism underlying human neurological disorders.