α-Helical protein absorption at post-traumatic epileptic foci monitored by Fourier transform infrared mapping.

Tissue analysis by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging can determine the biodistribution of molecules, without pre-analytical modification. We aimed to study the infrared spectroscopic changes of α-helical proteins at post-traumatic epileptic (PTE) foci by FTIR. FITR mapping was applied to detect α-helical proteins in rat brain tissue samples with post-traumatic epilepsy. Histological examination of brain sections showed that the rat model of PTE was successfully established. At the PTE foci, high α-helical absorption regions were evident, where the color difference and absorption were significantly different from those in the low-absorption regions. This provided a distinctive and characteristic pattern at the site of lesions. The use of FTIR imaging means that it is possible to measure the molecular structural changes resulting from PTE pathologies in tissues, providing a novel adjunct to conventional pathological diagnostic techniques.