Effects of Gamma Knife Irradiation on the Expression of CREB in the Brain of Chronic Epileptic Rats

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy surgery has seen numerous technological advances in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in recent years. However, further understanding of how to integrate traditional and emerging technologies into epilepsy treatment is needed to develop this area. The purpose of this study is to observe the antiepileptic effect of gamma knife irradiation on chronic epileptic rats and the expression of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB) in the brain. Methods: Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: the control group, the control + gamma knife group, the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) group and the PTZ + gamma knife group. The rats were injected intraperitoneally with PTZ to establish the epileptic models. Gamma knife irradiation was performed on the bilateral frontal cortex of rats. After 12 weeks of irradiation, the Morris water maze test was used on each group of rats to test their ability to learn and remember, and the expression of CREB in the cortex and hippocampus was detected. Results: The epileptic seizures of rats in the PTZ + gamma knife group were significantly reduced by the 12th week after low-dose gamma knife irradiation (p < 0.05). Compared with the PTZ group, the swimming distance was significantly shorter in the PTZ + gamma knife group (p < 0.05). Compared with the PTZ group, the daily escape latency in the Morris water maze of the PTZ + gamma knife group on days 3–5 was significantly shortened (p < 0.05). Compared with the PTZ group, the number of times the Morris water maze crossed the platform and the percentage swimming time in the platform quadrant were both significantly higher in the PTZ + gamma knife group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The cognitive function and the expression of CREB decreased in the brains of epileptic rats, which was increased after low-dose gamma knife irradiation. This may suggest a possible molecular mechanism underlying the effects of gamma knife irradiation on epileptic seizures.