Effect of Ganoderma lucidum spores on cytochrome C,mitochondrial Ca2+, HSP70 and BDNF in brain of epilepsy rats

AIM: To investigate the effects of Ganoderma lucidum spores on superoxide dismutase(SOD),malondialdehyde(MDA),total antioxidative capacity(T-AOC), cytochrome C, heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70), mitochondrial Ca²⁺ and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF) in the brain tissues of epilepsy rats.METHODS: The rat chronic epilepsy model was by intraperitoneal injection of pentetrazole(PTZ) at a subconvulsant dose (32 mg/kg).Flame atomic absorption method was used to detect the content of mitochondrial Ca²⁺,and spectrophotometer colorimetry was used to measure SOD activity,MDA content,T-AOC and cytochrome C levels in rat brain tissues. HSP70 and BDNF were determined by immunohistochemical method.RESULTS: The contents of mitochondrial Ca²⁺ and cytochrome C were higher, and the content of intracytoplasmic cytochrome C in the rat brain tissues was obviously lower in Ganoderma lucidum spores group than that in epileptic model group. Compared to epileptic model group, the activity of SOD and T-AOC in cytoplasm of the rat brain tissues decreased while MDA increased, and the numbers of BDNF-positive cells in cerebral cortex and hippocampus were significantly increased in Ganoderma lucidum spores group. The positive neuron population of HSP70 in hippocampus, basal nucleus and cortex was significantly higher in Ganoderma lucidum spores group than that in epilepsy model group.CONCLUSION: Ganoderma lucidum spores attenuate the impairment of neuronal mitochondria induced by seizure, and accelerate the expression of BDNF, resulting in restoring the energy metabolism in mitochondrion, thus alleviating the impairment and apoptosis of the brain tissues.