Objective      To investigate the brain protective effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on iron-induced epilepsy rats

and to further provide a new therapy for the prevention and treatment of post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE).       Methods      Sixty-four adult rats were randomly divided into four groups including a normal control group (n=16)

a sham group (n=16)

a model group (n=16) and an EGF treatment group (n=16). The rat models of epilepsy were established by iron injection in rat cortices in the latter two groups. Racine scale was used to evaluate the behavioral changes. Cortical electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring was applied to record the EEG features. Western blotting and RT-PCR were applied to measure the protein and mRNA expressions of glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) at two weeks after modeling.       Results      Compared with those of the normal control group

the protein and mRNA expression of GLT-1 in the cerebral cortices of the model group (0.495±0.077 and 0.644±0.067) decreased significantly (P0.05)

while those of the EGF treatment group (1.088±0.068 and 0.965±0.039) increased significantly (P0.05) at 8 d after modeling. The epileptic discharge and epileptic seizure were observed in the model group and the EGF treatment group but not in the normal control group or the sham group. The frequency and degree of epileptic seizure in the EGF treatment group were lower than those in the model group (P0.05).       Conclusion      EGF has a certain protective effect on the brain of iron-induced epilepsy rats through increasing mRNA and protein expression of GLT-1 in cerebral cortex and reducing the frequency and degree of epileptic seizure.