INFERIOR COLLICULAR SEIZURE GENERALIZATION PRODUCES SITE-SELECTIVE CORTICAL INDUCTION OF CYCLOOXYGENASE-2 (COX-2)

Given the potential role of mitogen-inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2) i n CNS damage, patterns of COX-2 induction were determined both before and after seizure generalization from the inferior collicular cortex i nto the forebrain, With midbrain seizures, no change was found in COX- 2-like immunoreactivity, even at the site of seizure genesis. However, upon forebrain seizure generalization, dramatic, ipsilateral increase s in COX-2-like immunoreactivity were found in layers II and UT of per irhinal, entorhinal and temporal cortex, just dorsal to the perirhinal fissure, coursing from the level of the medial geniculate to the leve l of the inferior colliculus. No changes in COX-2-like immunoreactivit y were found in contralateral cortical regions, retrosplenial cortex, dentate gyrus, subiculum, tenia tectum or inferior colliculus. Thus, i nitial seizure generalization into the forebrain induces COX-2 express ion in a highly specific area of the cerebral cortex, (C) 1997 Elsevie r Science B.V.