Biomedical Research

Objective: This study aims to investigate the effects of diltiazem hydrochloride (DTZ) on Multidrug- Resistance (MDR) gene expression.

Methods: Male juvenile rats were randomly divided into two groups: Kainic Acid (KA) group and control group. After the successful establishment of model, juvenile rats in the KA group were randomly divided into three subgroups: EP (Epilepsy untreated with antiepileptic drugs), EP+Lamotrigine (LTG) and EP+LTG+DTZ groups. In addition, rats in the control group were randomly divided into three subgroups: Normal Saline (NS), NS+LTG and NS+LTG+DTZ groups. Rats were given six weeks of LTG and/or DTZ treatment, sacrificed, the hippocampi of rats were obtained, and mdr1a and mdr1b mRNA expression levels were determined by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR).

Results: Mdr1a and mdr1b mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in the EP and EP+LTG groups than in the NS group (P<0.01), but these levels were not statically significant in the EP+LTG and NS+LTG groups than in the EP and NS groups, respectively (P>0.05 and P>0.05). Furthermore, rats in the mdr1a and mdr1b mRNA expression group was lower in the EP+LTG+DTZ group than that in the EP and EP+LTG group (P<0.05 and P<0.05), while differences between the NS+LTG+DTZ group with the NS+LTG group and with the NS group were not statistically significant (P>0.05 and P>0.05).

Conclusion: Seizures can increase mdr1a and mdr1b mRNA expression in the hippocampus, and LTG had no effect on its expression; while DTZ can reverse the expression trend.

Author(s): Xing-Xia Li, Yu-Xia Zhang, Jing-Na Wang, Jun-Li Yang
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