• Dan Sun, Jun-Hua Xiao, Yan Bai, Mo-Si Chen, Jia-Sheng Hu, Ge-Fei Wu, Bing Mao, Shu-Hua Wu, and Yan Hu.
• Department of Pediatrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China.
• Chin. Med. J. 2015 Nov 20; 128 (22): 308330873083-7.

BackgroundNa + /Ca 2+ exchanger (NCX) plays a crucial role in pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsion. However, it is unclear whether NCX is critically involved in hyperthermia-induced convulsion. In this study, we examined the potential changes in NCX3 in the hippocampus and cerebrocortex of rats with hyperthermia-induced convulsion.MethodsTwenty-one Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to control group, convulsion-prone group and convulsion-resistant group (n = 7 in each group). Whole-cell patch-clamp method was used to record NCX currents. Both the Western blotting analysis and immunofluorescence labeling techniques were used to examine the expression of NCX3.ResultsNCX currents were decreased in rats after febrile convulsion. Compared to the control group, NCX3 expression was decreased by about 40% and 50% in the hippocampus and cerebrocortex of convulsion-prone rats, respectively. Furthermore, the extent of reduction in NCX3 expression seemed to correlate with the number of seizures.ConclusionsThere is a significant reduction in NCX3 expression in rats with febrile convulsions. Our findings also indicate a potential link between NCX3 expression, febrile convulsion in early childhood, and adult onset of epilepsy.

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