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Background/aims: A recent study demonstrates that pro-inflammatory cytokines (PICs, i.e., IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) in specific brain regions of rats play a role in regulating kainic acid (KA)-induced status epilepticus (SE) via a GABAergic mechanism. The purposes of this report were to examine contributions of hypoxia inducible factor subtype 1α (HIF-1α) to expression of PICs in these specific brain regions in epileptic rats. Particularly, we investigated the parietal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala. In addition, we further examined expression of Caspase-3 indicating cell apoptosis in those brain regions of epileptic rats after infusing 2-methoxyestradiol (2-MET, inhibitor of HIF-1α) and etanercept (TNF-α receptor antagonist)., Methods: ELISA was used to determine the levels of HIF-1α and PICs and western blot analysis was used to examine Caspase-3 expression., Results: Our data show that HIF-1α was significantly increased in the parietal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala 1, 3 and 7 days after induction of SE (P<0.05 vs. control rats). Our results also show that inhibiting HIF-1α by central infusion of 2-MET significantly decreased the amplified TNF-α expression in these brain regions evoked by SE (P<0.05 vs. vehicle control), but did not modify IL-1β and IL-6. Our results demonstrate that 2-MET and etanercept attenuated an increase in Caspase-3 evoked by SE., Conclusion: Overall, we suggest that HIF-1α activated by SE is likely to contribute to epileptic activity via a TNF-α pathway, which has pharmacological implications to target specific HIF-1α and TNF-α pathways for neuronal dysfunction and vulnerability related to epilepsy., (© 2016 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background/aims: Retinal toxicity is one of the most commonly discussed and concerning adverse effects of vigabatrin (VGB). The present study explored the relationship between the VGB elicited retinal toxicity, photopic exposure, and taurine deficiency, aiming at screening for risk factors to minimize the adverse effects of VGB., Methods: The effects of VGB on function and morphology of mouse retinas were examined via a series of in vivo tests, including electroretinography (ERG), Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and optokinetic testing. Moreover, VGB-treated mice were in addition treated with taurine to verify possible protective effects against retinal toxicity., Results: A close relationship between VGB induced retinal toxicity and light exposure was observed. The VGB-treated mice which were reared in darkness preserved better visual function and retinal architectures as verified by the optokinetic tests, OCT and ERG examinations. The retinal taurine level of the VBG-treated mice which were exposed to light were significantly lower than that of the VBG mice reared in darkness. Furthermore, several in vivo evidence provided by our research confirmed that the VGB induced morphological and functional impairments could be partially alleviated by taurine treatment. The present study showed the retinal toxicity of VGB by in vivo measurements., Conclusion: The VGB induced retinal toxicity is closely associated with photopic exposure and taurine deficiency. Patients who are taking VGB might benefit from minimization of light exposure and dietetic taurine supplements., (© 2016 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)