Disorders of the Nervous System
Author: Alicia Raquel Rossi | Email: arossi@fmed.uba.ar
Alicia Rossi1°, Dante Gomez Cuautle1°, Andrea Pecile1°, Luca Sapia1°, Alberto Javier Ramos1°
1° IBCN. UBA CONICET/ Facultad de Medicina,UBA
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of epilepsy. Many patients report complex febrile seizures in childhood (initial precipitating event, IPE). During the latency period between IPE and TLE onset, epileptogenesis occurs. We used a rat model of hyperthermic seizures (HS) to investigate sex differences in brain and spleen responses during the LP. Rat pups (10 days old) were exposed to elevated core temperatures (39-42°C) to induce seizures. Brain tissues were collected for qPCR analysis at 15 days post-HS (15DPHS). A separate group was analyzed at 15 and 35DPHS for immunohistochemistry. Spleens were also collected for histological analysis. Both sexes showed moderate reactive gliosis, with males exhibiting an atypical distribution of astroglial cells in the pyriform cortex (PC) at 15DPHS, normalizing by 35DPHS but with persistent reactive gliosis. Increased Iba1+ cells and a proinflammatory phenotype were more pronounced in males. Spleen analysis revealed white pulp disorganization and lymphocyte mobilization in both sexes, increasing CD3/CD4 T-lymphocytes in peripheral blood. Both sexes showed decreased AQP4 and Kir4.1 mRNA expression, with males showing AQP4 redistribution in the PC. Males also had a lower convulsive threshold after pilocarpine exposure at 39DPHS. These findings suggest that HS induces astroglial and immune changes, more evident in males, potentially contributing to epileptogenesis. Grants: PICT 2021-0760; UBACYT, PIP CONICET