OBJECTIVE: In animal models of epilepsy, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) has its expression proportional to seizure severity. Among several functions on biological systems, HSP90 regulates nitric oxide synthase and cytoskeletal proteins. Due to the plausible protective role of HSP70 and the relationship of HSP90 with proteins involved in epileptogenesis, we looked at HSP70 and 90 immunohistochemical expression in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). METHODS: Hippocampi were obtained from medically intractable TLE patients and control hippocampi were from necropsy cases. Specimens were equally treated and submitted to imunohistochemistry to HSP70 and HSP90. Positive immunoreactivity was estimated using the software ImageJ. RESULTS: Our results showed significant lower expression of HSP70 and HSP90 in epileptic patients when compared to controls in almost all hippocampal regions. To HSP70 subicular region exhibited significant difference and to HSP90 all regions, except fascia dentata and subiculum. CONCLUSION: Unlike the reports in animal models the present results indicate that chronic seizures in TLE patients are not sufficient to induce HSP70 and HSP90 activation. Typical attributes inherent to TLE condition may be determinants of low HSP expression. In Addition, our results suggest that low expression of HSPs in epileptic groups may be related to seizure maintenance.
temporal lobe epilepsy; heat shock protein 70; heat shock protein 90
