Delayed decrease of calbindin immunoreactivity in the granule cell mossy fibers after kainic acid-induced seizures

Kainic acid (KA) administration induces an abnormal excitation and spontaneous recurrent seizures. Alterations of granule cell properties may be potential mechanisms. In this study, dynamic alterations of calbindin, a calcium binding protein particularly abundant in the granule cells, have been investigated immunocytochemically in the rat hippocampus after the KA-induced seizures. The calbindin immunoreactivity decreased slightly in the CA1/CA2 fields already after 1 and 3 days, and was lost partly or completely in the pyramidal layer after 10 days. From day 21, the calbindin immunoreactivity decreased in dendrites and soma of the granule cells and messy fibers. The alterations remained at least to day 90, while no evident neuronal loss occurred in the granule cells. This may reflect a disturbance of calcium homostasis in the granule cells after seizures. The delayed decrease of calbindin has a time course similar to the occurrence of spontaneous recurrent seizures, suggesting a possible correlation between the two events. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.