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BACKGROUND: Previous research has revealed that somatostatin can induce epilepsy, and that the levels of neuropeptide Y may increase and become more active in brain areas with epileptic seizures.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Ganoderma lucidum spore powder on the neuropeptide Y and somatostatin content in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal regions of seizure rats induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). Furthermore, to verify any effect of Ganoderma lucidum spore powder on inhibition of epileptic seizures.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: A randomized group animal study was performed in August 2007 in the School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiamusi University (Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China).MATERIALS: Thirty healthy, male, Wistar rats, aged 12 weeks and weighing 180-220g, were taken as the experimental animals. PTZ (Sigma Company, United States) was used to induce epilepsy. Ganoderma lucidum spores (Leyss, ex Fr variety) were purchased from Jiamusi City Wild Growing Case of the Ganoderma Lucidum (China). Rabbit anti-somatostatin antibodies and secondary antibodies were purchased from Wuhan Boster Company (China). Neuropeptide Y radioimmunoassay kit was purchased from Beijing Furui Biotechnology Company (China).METHODS: Thirty rats were randomly divided into three groups: a control group, an epilepsy model group and a Ganoderma lucidum spore-treated group. Each group contained 10 animals. Rats in the epilepsy model group were treated with intraperitoneal injections of PTZ and gastric perfusion of physiologic saline, In the Ganoderma lucidum spore-treated group, intraperitoneal injection of PTZ and gastric perfusion of Ganoderma lucidum spore powder were administered. The blank control group was only administered with the physiological saline by intraperitoneal injection and gastric perfusion.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Immunohistochemical staining and radioimmunoassay methods were used to observe the changes of somatostatin and neuropeptide Y content in brain tissue of epileptic rats, as well as the morphology of neurons.RESULTS: All 30 rats were involved in the result analysis, without any loss. The number of somatostatin immunoreacted positive cells in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus was significantly increased in the epilepsy model group compared to the blank control group (P<0.01). The number of somatostatin immunoreacted positive cells in cerebral cortex and hippocampus was significantly decreased in the Ganoderma lucidum spore-treated group compared to the epilepsy model group (P<0.01). The contents of neuropeptide Y in cerebral cortex and hippocampus were significantly increased in the epilepsy model group compared to the blank control group (P<0.01). The contents of neuropeptide Y in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were significantly decreased in the Ganoderma lucidum spore-treated group compared to the epilepsy model group (P<0.05). The epilepsy seizures in the Ganoderma lucidum spore-treated group were obviously reduced compared to the epilepsy model group.CONCLUSION: Ganoderma lucidum spore powder was able to reduce the somatostatin and neuropeptide Y content in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus effectively, so as to achieve an anti-epileptic function and protect neurons from being damaged.