Excitotoxic hippocampal injury is attenuated in thioredoxin transgenic mice

Thioredoxin is a small, multifunctional protein with a redox-active disulfi de/dithiol in the active site. Thioredoxin plays several important biologic roles both in intracellular and extracellular compartments with its redox- regulating and reactive oxygen intermediates scavenging activities. We assa yed the seizure response and the excitotoxic hippocampal injury in thioredo xin transgenic and wild-type C57BL/6 mice. Seizure score after kainic acid treatment was significantly lower in thioredoxin transgenic mice. Seven day s after kainic acid administration, the damage in the hippocampal CA1 and C A3 regions was significantly attenuated in thioredoxin transgenic mice. Thi oredoxin and redox regulation play an important role in excitotoxic brain d amage.