Protease-activated receptor-2 regulates trypsin expression in the brain and protects against seizures and epileptogenesis

Abstract

Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR(2)), primarily involved in inflammation, is highly expressed in limbic regions of the brain such as the hippocampus. Although extracellular proteolysis is involved in normal and stress-related neuronal plasticity associated with learning, memory and inflammatory disease states, little is known about the role of PAR(2) and its physiological agonist, trypsin, in the brain. We show immunohistochemically that trypsin co-localises with tissue plasminogen activator within granular-like structures in PAR(2)-positive pyramidal neurons of the rat hippocampus. Central administration of the PAR(2) peptide agonist, SLIGRL, inhibited electrical amygdala kindling-induced..