Objective Muncl8-1 has an important role in neurotransmitter release, and controls every step in the exocy- totic pathway in the central nervous system. In the present study, whether epileptic seizure causes a change of Muncl8 localization in neuronal nuclei was analyzed. Methods Epilepsy models were established by injection of kainic acid （KA） solution into hippocampus of Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats or intraperitoneal injection of KA in Kunming mice. The hippocampal neurons were prepared from embryonic day 18 SD rats, and cultured in neurobasal medium, followed by treatment with glutamate for 3 h. Neuronal and glial nuclei of hippocampus were separated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The nucleus-enriched fractions were stained with 0.1% Cresyl Violet for morphological assay. Immuno- chemistry and immunoelectron microscopy with anti-Muncl 8-1 antibody were used to determine the nuclear locatization of Munc 18-1. Immunoblotting was used to detect the protein level of Munc 18-1. Results The localization of Munc 18-1 in nucleus of rat hippocampal neuron was confirmed by immunochemistry, immunoelectron microscopy, and immunob- lotting detection of neuronal nucleus fraction. In animals receiving intrahippocampal or intraperitoneal injection of KA, immunostaining revealed that the expression of Muncl 8-1 decreased in pyramidal cell layer of CA regions, as well as in hilus and granular cell layer of dentate gyrus in hippocampus. Moreover, immunoblotting analysis showed that the expres- sion level of Muncl 8-1 in nucleus fraction of hippocampus significantly decreased in KA-treated animals. The relation- ship between the change of Muncl8-1 expression in neuronal nuclei and neuronal over-activation was also tested in pri- mary cultured neurons. After treatment with 50 ~tmol/L glutamate acid for 3 h, Muncl8-1 level was decreased in nucleus fraction and increased in cytoplasmic fraction of primary cultured neurons. Conclusion These results suggest that excit- atory stimulation can induce the distribution ch
