BDNF restores the expression of Jun and Fos inducible transcription factors in the rat brain following repetitive electroconvulsive seizures

Abstract The expression of inducible transcription factors was studied following repetitive electroconvulsive seizures (ECS). c-Fos, c-Jun, JunB, and JunD immunoreactivities were investigated following a single (1× ECS) or repetitive ECS evoked once per day for 4, 5, or 10 days (4×ECS, 5×ECS, or 10×ECS). Animals were killed 3 or 12 h following the last ECS. Three hours after 1×ECS, c-Fos was expressed throughout the cortex and hippocampus. After 5×ECS and 10×ECS, c-Fos was reexpressed in the CA4 area, but was completely absent in the other hippocampal areas and cortex. In these areas, c-Fos became only reinducible when the time lag between two ECS stimuli was 5 days. In contrast to c-Fos, intense JunB expression was inducible in the cortex and hippocampus, but not CA4 subfield, after 1×ECS, 5×ECS, and 10×ECS. Repetitive ECS did not effect c-Jun and JunD expression. In a second model of systemic excitation of the brain, repetitive daily injection of kainic acid for 4 days completely failed to express c-Fos, c-Jun, and JunB after the last application whereas injection of kainic acid once per week did not alter the strong expressions compared to a single application of kainic acid. In order to study the maintenance of c-Fos expression during repetitive seizures, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was applied in parallel for 5 or 10 days via miniosmotic pumps and permanent cannula targeted at the hippocampus or the parietal cortex. Infusion of BDNF completely reinduced c-Fos expression during 5×ECS or 10×ECS in the cortex ipsilaterally to the cannula and, to a less extent, also increased the expression of c-Jun and JunB when compared to saline-treated controls. BDNF had no effect on the expression patterns in the hippocampus. ECS with or without BDNF infusion did not change the expression patterns of the constitutive transcription factors ATF-2, CREB, and SRF. These data demonstrate that various transcription factors substantially differ in their response to acute and chronic neural stimulation. Repetitive pathophysiological excitation decreases the transcriptional actions of neurons over days in the adult brain, and this decrement can be prevented by BDNF restoring the neuroplasticity at the level of gene transcription.