Metabotropic glutamate receptor 8 in the rat hippocampus after pilocarpineinduced status epilepticus

The expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor 8 (mGluR8) was studied in the rat hippocampus after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (APISE) b y light immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy. At 1 day APISE, mGluR8 immunoreactivity was up-regulated in the entire molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. At 7 days APISE, mGluR8 immunoreactive cells began to ap pear in the stratum lacunosum moleculare of CA1, and by day 31, they were s een in all layers of CA1. By electron microscopy and double labelling study , the mGluR8 immunoreactive cells were identified as astrocytes. The presen t novel finding of induced expression of mGluR8 in astrocytes APISE suggest s that it may be linked to gliosis. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.