APPLICATION OF POTASSIUM-CHLORIDE TO THE BRAIN SURFACE INDUCES THE C-FOS PROTOONCOGENE - REVERSAL BY MK-801

The proto-oncogene c-fos is activated in the brain by a variety of stimuli including brain injury. In unilateral brain injury, c-fos immunoreactivity is confined to the damaged hemisphere, an effect reminiscent of spreading depression. Here we show that topical application of KCl (3 M) to the brain surface (which induces spreading depression) is accompanied by ipsilateral increase in c-fos immunolabeling. The activation of c-fos, like spreading depression, is markedly reduced by the non-competitive NMDA antagonist MK-801 (3 mg/kg i.p.). © 1990.