Extracellular levels of neuropeptide Y are markedly increased in the dorsal hippocampus of freely moving rats during kainic acid-induced seizures.

In this microdialysis study we measured the extracellular neuropeptide Y (NPY) levels in the dorsal hippocampus of conscious rats. During potassium-induced depolarisations, a 93% increase in extracellular levels of NPY was observed. NPY has been demonstrated to reduce kainic acid-induced convulsions in rats, but it is unknown whether NPY neurotransmission is affected by seizures. During seizures induced by kainic acid we observed a 104% increase in levels of NPY, suggesting that convulsions are associated with a dramatically increased NPYergic neurotransmission. Copyright 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.