Expression of neuropeptides ghrelin and Nesfatin-1 in kainic acid kindling rats

To observed the post-seizure expression level of neuropeptides ghrelin and Nesfatin-1 between the untreated and treated groups in kainic acid-kindling rats and understand the significance of their basic expressions. The male S-D rats were divided randomly into NS and VPA groups after seizure. Each group was divided into 7 subgroups of 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 3 d, 7 d and 14 d. And the blank group (without NS or VPA) and sham group (normal saline instead of kainic acid) were established. RIA (radioimmunoassay), ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression levels of ghrelin and Nesfatin-1 in the serum and hypothalamus of kainic acid-kindling rats. Compared with the blank and sham groups, the seizure rats had a decreased expression of ghrelin while there was an elevated expression of Nesfatin-1 in hypothalamus. This trend was consistent with the serum expressions of deacylated ghrelin and Nesfatin-1. The expression of ghrelin became elevated at all stages in the VPA group. Especially the subgroups of 24 h (0.320 ± 0.007) and 7 d (0.284 ± 0.004) had a significant increase (P < 0.05) while their expression levels remained lowed than that of the blank group (0.342 ± 0.039). The expressions of Nesfatin-1 had a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in all VPA subgroups while they were higher than those in the blank group (0.124 ± 0.007). An accurate detection of serum expression level of deacylated ghrelin and Nesfatin-1 may reflect the fluctuation trend of neuropeptides in hypothalamus. It may offer a simple, sensitive and noninvasive method of diagnosing and treating epilepsy.