Biochemical and pharmacological evidence of a functional role of AMPA receptors in motor neuron dysfunction in mnd mice

We studied ionotropic glutamate receptor subtypes and the effect of chronic treatment with NBQX [6-nitro-7-sulphamoyl-benzo(F)quinoxaline-2,3-dione], a selective (rs)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist, in the spinal cord of mnd mice. NBQX (8 mg/kg daily i.p. for 3 weeks starting from 24 weeks old) significantly improved the behavioural scores (hind leg extension reflex, cage rung grasping and gait) in mnd mice, measured after the last drug injection, and increased the number of mice with 'normal' gait (from 50% to 90%, P < 0.05). Receptor binding autoradiography of the competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, [3H]CGP 39653, of [3H]AMPA and [3H]kainic acid in spinal cord sections, measured after 1 week of drug washout, were not significantly different in control and mnd mice, and were not modified by NBQX. GluR2/3 immunoreactivity, assessed using Western blotting, was significantly enhanced (by 59%, P < 0.01) in the spinal cord but not in the brain of 28-week-old mnd mice compared to age-matched control mice. NBQX treatment increased GluR2/3 immunoreactivity in the spinal cord of control mice and mnd mice by 327 +/- 74% (P < 0.01) and 212 +/- 52% (P < 0.01), respectively. The changes in GluR2/3 subunits may involve adaptive mechanisms of the receptor and play some role in the protective effect of NBQX. These findings suggest that selective antagonism of ionotropic non-NMDA receptors may be of value in the treatment of motor neuron disease.

Autoradiographic reevaluation of the binding properties of 125I-[Leu31,Pro34]peptide YY and 125I-peptide YY3-36 to neuropeptide Y receptor subtypes in rat forebrain

125I-[Leu31,Pro34]peptide YY (PYY) and 125I-PYY3-36, initially described as selective neuropeptide Y Y1 and Y2 receptor ligands, respectively, were recently shown to label also Y4 and Y5 receptors. We used receptor autoradiography to assess whether these ligands can be reliably used to investigate the various neuropeptide Y receptors in rat forebrain. In most of the brain regions examined (in coronal sections at the level of dorsal hippocampus), specific 125I-[Leu31,Pro34]PYY binding was completely inhibited by 1 microM BIBP-3226, a selective Y1 receptor ligand, but unaffected by 10 nM rat pancreatic polypeptide, selectively inhibiting Y4 receptors, suggesting that Y4 receptors are present in negligible numbers compared with Y1 receptors in the areas examined. Significant numbers of BIBP-3226-insensitive 125I-[Leu31,Pro34]PYY binding sites were measured in the CA3 subfield of the hippocampus only, possibly representing Y5 receptors. 125I-PYY3-36 binding was unchanged by 1 microM BIBP-3226, whereas a population of 125I-PYY3-36 binding sites was sensitive to 100 nM [Leu31,Pro34]neuropeptide Y, likely representing Y5 receptors. The possibility of distinguishing between Y2 and Y5 receptors using 125I-PYY3-36 as radioligand was validated by their different regional distribution and their distinct changes 24 h after kainate seizures, i.e., binding to Y5 receptors was selectively decreased in the outer cortex, whereas binding to Y2 receptors was enhanced in the hippocampus. Thus, the use of selective unlabeled compounds is required for distinguishing the various receptor subtypes labeled by 125I-[Leu31,Pro34]PYY and 125I-PYY3-36 in rat brain tissue.

Neuropeptide Y: emerging evidence for a functional role in seizure modulation

The high concentration of the tyrosine-rich polypeptide, neuropeptide Y (NPY), and the increase in the number of its receptor subtypes that have been characterized in the brain, raise the question of a functional role for NPY in the CNS. In addition to its peripheral actions on cardiovascular regulation, much attention has, therefore, been devoted to the CNS effects of NPY because of its stimulatory properties on food intake, its role in anxiolysis and its putative involvement in memory retention. Emerging evidence points to an important role for NPY in the regulation of neuronal activity both under physiological conditions and during pathological hyperactivity such as that which occurs during seizures. This article reviews recent studies that have shown the changes induced by seizures in the level and distribution of NPY, its receptor subtypes and their respective mRNAs in rat forebrain. Biochemical and electrophysiological findings in experimental models and tissue from human epilepsy sufferers suggest that NPY-mediated neurotransmission is altered by seizures. The pharmacological evidence and functional studies in NPY knockout mice highlight a crucial role for endogenous NPY, acting on different NPY receptors, in the control of seizures.

Distinct changes in peptide YY binding to, and mRNA levels of, Y1 and Y2 receptors in the rat hippocampus associated with kindling epileptogenesis

Electrical kindling of the rat dorsal hippocampus induced significant changes in the binding of 125I-peptide YY to Y1 and Y2 subtypes of neuropeptide Y receptors and in their mRNA levels in the area dentata as assessed by quantitative receptor autoradiography and in situ hybridization histochemistry. Binding to Y1 receptor sites decreased by 50% (p < 0.05) in the molecular layer of the stimulated dentate gyrus, 2 days after preconvulsive stage 2 and 1 week or 1 month after generalized stage 5 seizures compared with sham-stimulated rats. Binding to Y2 receptor sites increased bilaterally by 36-87% (p < 0.05) in the hilus at stage 2 and 1 week or 1 month after stage 5. No significant changes were observed after one afterdischarge or in the other hippocampal subfields or in the cortex. Y1 receptor mRNA signal decreased bilaterally by 50-64% (p < 0.01) in the granule cell layer, 6 h but not 24 h after stages 2 and 5. The Y2 receptor mRNA signal was enhanced by 283% (p < 0.01) in the stimulated granule cell layer 24 h after stage 2. At 6 and 24 h after stage 5, mRNA levels were increased both ipsilaterally (283 and 360%, respectively; p < 0.01) and contralaterally (190 and 260%, respectively; p < 0.05). No significant changes in level of either mRNA was found following one afterdischarge. These modifications, and the enhanced neuropeptide Y release previously shown in the hippocampus, suggest that kindling is associated with lasting changes in neuropeptide Y-mediated neurotransmission.

Lasting increase in serotonin 5-HT1A but not 5-HT4 receptor subtypes in the kindled rat dentate gyrus: dissociation from local presynaptic effects

We examined the effect of kindling on serotonergic neurotransmission in the hippocampus by measuring serotonin (5-HT) release and uptake in hippocampal synaptosomes and 5-HT1A and 5-HT4 receptor subtypes during and at different times after electrical kindling of the dentate gyrus. Using quantitative receptor autoradiography, we found that binding of 8-[3H]hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin ([3H]8-OH-DPAT) to 5-HT1A receptors was selectively increased by 20% on average (p < 0.05) in the dentate gyrus of the stimulated and contralateral hippocampus 2 days after stage 2 (stereotypes and occasional retraction of a forelimb) and by 100% on average (p < 0.05) 1 week after stage 5 (tonic-clonic seizures) compared with sham-stimulated rats. A 20% increase (p < 0.05) was observed 1 month after the last generalized seizure. No changes were found after a single afterdischarge. 5-HT4 receptors, which colocalize with 5-HT1A receptors on hippocampal neurons, were not modified in kindled tissue. [3H]5-HT uptake and its release as well as the 5-HT1B autoreceptor function did not differ from shams in hippocampal synaptosomes at stages 2 and 5. Systemic administration of 100 and 1,000 microg kg(-1) 8-OH-DPAT or 1,000 microg kg(-1) WAY-100,635, 30 min before each electrical stimulation, did not significantly alter kindling progression or the occurrence of stage 5 seizures in fully kindled rats. The changes in 5-HT1A receptor density in the dentate gyrus are part of the plastic modifications occurring during kindling and may contribute to modulating tissue hyperexcitability.

Anticonvulsant properties of BIBP3226, a non-peptide selective antagonist at neuropeptide Y Y1 receptors

Several lines of evidence indicate that neuropeptide Y (NPY)-mediated neurotransmission in the hippocampus is altered by limbic seizures. The functional consequences of this change are still unresolved and clearly depend on the type of NPY receptors involved. We have investigated the role of NPY Y1 receptor subtypes, which are enriched in the dentate area of the hippocampus, on EEG seizures induced by a local injection of 0.04 microg kainic acid in rats. Intrahippocampal administration of 10 microg BIBP3226 (N2- (diphenylacetyl)-N-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]D-arginamide), a non-peptide selective antagonist at the NPY Y1 receptors, increased threefold on average (P < 0.01) the time to onset of seizures and reduced the number of seizures and the total time in seizures three- and fourfold, respectively (P < 0.01). Its inactive S-enantiomer BIBP3435 was ineffective on seizure activity. One microgram [Leu31,Pro34]NPY, an agonist at Y1 receptors, did not modify per se the EEG sequelae induced by kainic acid but it antagonized the anticonvulsant effect of BIBP3226. These results indicate that NPY Y1 receptors in the hippocampus are involved in epileptic phenomena and suggest that selective Y1 receptor antagonists may be of value for attenuating limbic seizures.

Time- and region-specific variations in somatostatin release following amygdala kindling in the rat

Somatostatin biosynthesis is activated during and following kindling epileptogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this phenomenon translates into enhanced release of the peptide and whether it is involved in kindling maintenance. A marked increase in somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (somatostatin-LI) was observed in hilar interneurons of the hippocampus and in their presumed projections to the outer molecular layer 1 week, but not 1 month, after the last kindled seizure. No overt changes were observed in the striatum or in the cortex. Compared with sham-stimulated controls, (a) in the hippocampus, high-K+-evoked somatostatin-LI release was unchanged in synaptosomes taken from rats killed 7 days after the last kindled seizure but was bilaterally reduced after 30 days; (b) in the striatum, it was increased (mainly ipsilaterally to stimulation) 7, but not 30, days after the last seizure; and (c) in the cortex, somatostatin-LI release was bilaterally increased in synaptosomes taken from kindled rats 30, but not 7, days after the last seizure. This study shows that distinct changes occur in synaptosomal somatostatin-LI release after kindling acquisition, depending on the brain area analyzed and on the time elapsed from the last generalized seizure.

Neuroprotective effect of somatostatin on nonapoptotic NMDA-induced neuronal death: role of cyclic GMP

Somatostatin (SRIF) exerts a modulatory function on neuronal transmission in the CNS. It has been proposed that a reduction of calcium currents is the major determinant of the inhibitory activity of this peptide on synaptic transmission. Because the neurotoxicity induced by activation of the NMDA subtype of glutamate receptor is mediated through excessive Ca2+ influx, we investigated whether SRIF counteracted NMDA-induced neuronal cell death. Neurons from embryonic rat cerebral cortex were cultured for 7-10 days and then exposed to 0.5 and 1 mM NMDA for 24 h. The neuronal viability, as assessed by the colorimetric method, decreased by 40 and 60%, respectively, compared with the control condition. Morphological and biochemical evidence indicated that cell death occurred by necrosis and not through an apoptotic mechanism. SRIF (0.5-10 microM), simultaneously applied with excitatory amino acid, significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner the neurotoxic effect of NMDA but not that of KA (0.25-0.5 mM). GABA (10 microM) partially protected neurons to a similar extent from NMDA- or KA-induced toxicity. SRIF type 2 receptor agonists, octreotide (SMS 201-995; 10 microM) and vapreotide (RC 160; 10 microM), did not influence the NMDA-dependent neurotoxicity. The intracellular mechanism involved in SRIF neuroprotection was investigated. Pertussin toxin (300 ng/ml), a G protein blocker, antagonized the protective effect of SRIF on NMDA neurotoxicity. Furthermore, the neuroprotective effect of SRIF was mimicked by dibutyryl-cyclic GMP (10 microM), a cyclic GMP analogue, whereas 8-(4-chlorphenylthio)-cyclic AMP (10 microM), a cyclic AMP analogue, was ineffective. The cyclic GMP content was increased in a dose-dependent manner by SRIF (2.5-10 microM). Finally, both specific (Rp-8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-monophosphate, 10 microM) and nonspecific [1-(5 isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H7), 10 microM] cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase (cGMP-PK) inhibitors did not interfere with NMDA toxicity but substantially reduced SRIF neuroprotection. Our data suggest a selective neuroprotective role of SRIF versus NMDA-induced nonapoptotic neuronal death in cortical cells. This effect is likely mediated by cGMP-PK presumably by regulation of the intracellular Ca2+ level.

Status of somatostatin receptor messenger RNAs and binding sites in rat brain during kindling epileptogenesis

In situ hybridization histochemistry with somatostatin sst1-sst5 receptor messenger RNA-selective oligoprobes and quantitative receptor autoradiographic binding studies using [125I]Tyr3-octreotide, [Leu2,D-Trp22,125I-Tyr25]somatostatin-28 and [125I]CGP 23996 ([125I]c[Asn-Lys-Asn-Phe-Phe-Trp-Lys-Thr-Tyr-Thr-Ser]) were performed to determine the level of expression of somatostatin receptor messenger RNA and receptor binding sites in the hippocampal formation, limbic system and cerebral cortex of adult rats electrically kindled in the dorsal hippocampus. In control rats (implanted with electrodes but not electrically stimulated), the somatostatin-1 receptor-selective [125I]Tyr3-octreotide and the non-subtype-selective [Leu3,D-Trp22,125I-Tyr25]somatostatin-28 preferentially labelled the strata oriens and radiatum of the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus, the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus, the subiculum and presubiculum of the hippocampal formation, the inner layer of the frontal cortex, and the lateral and basolateral nuclei of the amygdala. The non-subtype-selective radioligand [125I]CGP 23996 (in 5 mM Mg2+ buffer) preferentially labelled the strata oriens and radiatum of the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus, the subiculum and the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala. Under conditions where primarily somatostatin-2 receptors were labelled, [125I]CGP 23996 (in 120 mM Na+ buffer) showed strong binding in the strata oriens and radiatum of the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus and the frontal cortex, whereas the dentate gyrus, subiculum and amygdala showed only weak signals. During and after kindling, no significant differences were observed between the ipsi- and contralateral sides of the hippocampus. A significant decrease (about 40%) of somatostatin receptor binding sites was observed in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus with all radioligands (except [125I]CGP 23996 in Na+ buffer, which did not label this area) at stage 2 (pre-convulsive stage) and one week, but not one month, after stage 5 (generalized motor seizures). In contrast to somatostatin receptor binding, no alterations of the messenger RNA levels for sst1-sst5 receptors were found either at stage 2 or at stage 5. Similarly, no changes in receptor binding or messenger RNA levels were observed in the brain of rats which experienced a single afterdischarge. The present study shows a significant and selective decrease of somatostatin-1 receptor binding sites in the dentate gyrus of kindled rats. This is part of the plastic changes induced by kindling and may contribute to the increased sensitivity for the induction of generalized seizures during kindling.

Functional changes in somatostatin and neuropeptide Y containing neurons in the rat hippocampus in chronic models of limbic seizures

Using immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization analysis of mRNA, we investigated the changes in the expression of somatostatin and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the rat hippocampal principal neurons in kindling or after electrically induced status epilepticus (SE), two models of limbic epilepsy associated with different chronic sequelae of seizures and seizure-related neuropathology. At the preconvulsive stage 2 of kindling and after three consecutive tonic-clonic seizures (stage 5) but not after a single-discharge (AD), somatostatin and NPY immunoreactivity (IR) were markedly increased in interneurons of the deep hilus and the polymorphic cell layer and their presumed projections to the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. Increased mRNA levels were observed in the same neurons. NPY IR and mRNA were highly expressed in pyramidal-shaped basket cells at both stages of kindling. IR was similar two days after stages 2 or 5 of kindling while less pronounced effects were observed one week after kindling completion. Peptide-containing neurons in the hilus appeared well preserved in spite of an average of 24% reduction of Nissl stained cells (p < 0.01) in the stimulated and contralateral hippocampus at stage 5. No sprouting of mossy fibres in the inner molecular layer was found as assessed by Timm staining. Thirty days after SE, somatostatin IR was slightly reduced or similar to controls in the ventral dentate gyrus and molecular layer in four or six rats (SE-I group) while in the two other post-SE rats (SE-II), somatostatin IR was lost. These changes were associated with a different extent of neurodegeneration as assessed by cell counting of Nissl stained sections. In the granule cells/mossy fibres NPY-IR was transiently expressed at stage 2 and after a single AD. Differently, NPY-IR was persistently enhanced in the mossy fibres of all post-SE rats particularly in the SE-II group. In these rats, NPY immunoreactive fibres were detected in the infrapyramidal region of the stratum oriens CA3 and in the inner molecular layer of the dentate gyrus very likely labeling sprouted mossy fibres. In the hippocampus proper of kindled rats, somatostatin and NPY IR were respectively enhanced in the stratum lacunosum moleculare, the subiculum and in the alveus while no significant changes were observed after SE. Changes in peptide expression were bilateral and involved both the dorsal and the ventral hippocampus. The lasting modifications in peptides IR and mRNA expression in distinct neuronal populations of the hippocampus may reflect functional modifications neurons and play a role in limbic epileptogenesis.

Regional production of nitric oxide after a peripheral or central low dose of LPS in mice

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in the pathophysiology of inflammation and sepsis. The regulation of the peripheral inducible NO synthase (iNOS-responsible for the massive NO synthesis in inflammation) has been extensively studied in sepsis, but little is known about the actual NO production and its dependence on the location of the primary stimulus (endotoxin, LPS). We measured the activation of the NO pathway after a central (intracerebroventricular) or systemic (intravenous) low dose of LPS (2.5 micrograms/mouse) in three ways: the accumulation of its stable end products (nitrites/nitrates) in the circulation, the induction of iNOS mRNA and the decrease in sodium nitroprusside-dependent ADP ribosylation of proteins in the liver and brain. Plasma nitrites/nitrates increased after LPS by either route. iNOS mRNA was induced in the liver after intravenous and, to a lower extent, in the brain after intracerebroventricular LPS. Ex vivo ADP ribosylation was decreased in both organs after both administration routes, although to different degrees (higher in the liver after intravenous and in the brain after intracerebroventricular administration), suggesting that NO had been produced in the periphery and in the brain after both routes of LPS administration, despite the fact that no LPS is expected to reach the brain after peripheral low-dose injection. Our data thus demonstrate a cross-talk between periphery and brain in the regulation of NO by LPS. Additionally, the possibility of iNOS-independent NO synthesis stimulated by LPS is implied by the discrepancy between the amount of local NO production suggested by ADP ribosylation and the iNOS mRNA levels.

Functional activation of somatostatin- and neuropeptide Y-containing neurons in the entorhinal cortex of chronically epileptic rats

The in vitro release of somatostatin and neuropeptide Y, their tissue concentration and immunocytochemical pattern were examined in the entorhinal cortex of chronically epileptic rats. A systemic administration of 12 mg/kg kainic acid causing generalized tonic-clonic seizures for at least 3 h after injection was used to induce, 60 days later, a chronically enhanced susceptibility to seizures in the rats. The release of both peptides under depolarizing conditions was significantly reduced by 15% on average from slices of the entorhinal cortex two days after kainic acid-induced status epilepticus. At 60 days, the spontaneous and 30 mM KCl-induced release of somatostatin was significantly enhanced by 30% on average. The release induced by 100 mM KCl was raised by 70%. The spontaneous, 30 mM and 100 mM KCl-induced release of neuropeptide Y from the same slices was increased, respectively, by 120%, 76% and 36%. The late changes were associated with an increased tissue concentration of neuropeptide Y but not of somatostatin. This was confirmed by immunocytochemical evidence showing that neuropeptide Y-, but not somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons were increased in the entorhinal cortex of kainic acid-treated rats. These results indicate that neurotransmission mediated by somatostatin and neuropeptide Y, two peptides previously shown to play a role in limbic epileptogenesis, is enhanced in the entorhinal cortex of chronically epileptic rats.

Stimulation of 5-HT1A receptors in the dorsal hippocampus and inhibition of limbic seizures induced by kainic acid in rats

1. We studied whether the stimulation of 5-HT1A receptors by 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), a specific 5-HT1A receptor agonist, reduced electroencephalographic (EEG) seizures induced by intrahippocampal injection of 0.04 microgram in 0.5 microliter of the glutamate analogue kainic acid in freely-moving rats. 2. Pretreatment with 8-OH-DPAT 15 min earlier at the same site as kainic acid injection, caused a dose-dependent decrease of kainic acid-induced seizure activity. One and 10 micrograms significantly reduced the total time spent in seizures by 72% on average and the total number of seizures by 58% (P < 0.01) and 43% (P < 0.05) respectively. The latency to onset of the first seizure was increased 2.8 times (P < 0.01) only after 1 microgram 8-OH-DPAT; 0.1 microgram was ineffective on all seizure parameters. 3. Systemic administration of 25, 100 and 1000 micrograms kg-1 8-OH-DPAT significantly reduced the total number of seizures and the total time in seizures induced by intrahippocampal kainic acid by 52% and 74% on average. The latency to onset of the first seizure was delayed 1.8 times by 100 and 1000 micrograms kg-1 (P < 0.05). 4. The anticonvulsant action of 8-OH-DPAT given intrahippocampally or systemically was significantly blocked by 5 micrograms, but not 1 microgram WAY 100635, a selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, administered in the hippocampus before the agonist. 5. These results indicate that postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors in the hippocampus mediate the anticonvulsant action of 8-OH-DPAT and that their stimulation has an inhibitory role in the generation of limbic seizures.

Cellular localization of neuropeptide-Y receptors in the rat hippocampus: long-term effects of limbic seizures

To clarify the cellular localization of neuropeptide-Y receptor subtypes in the dentate gyrus and CA3 sector of the rat dorsal hippocampus and their changes after kainic acid-induced seizures, we used receptor autoradiography to measure [125I]PYY binding to Y1 and Y2 receptors after colchicine treatment. Fifteen days after colchicine infusion in the dorsal hippocampus granule cells and their mossy fibres degenerated while the hilar interneurons and CA3 pyramidal cells were spared. This treatment markedly decreased [125I]PYY binding to Y1 receptors in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus (-82%) and in the hilus (-70%). [125I]PYY binding to Y2 receptors was reduced by 40% and 48%, respectively, in the CA3 region and in the hilus. Thirty days after kainic acid treatment, [125I]PYY binding to Y1 receptors was decreased by 35% in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus whereas the binding to Y2 receptors was increased by 116% in the hilus. The effect of colchicine in kainic acid-treated rats indicates that these plastic changes occur selectively on granule cell projections.

Neuropeptides-immunoreactivity and their mRNA expression in kindling: functional implications for limbic epileptogenesis

Recent studies have demonstrated that neuropeptide expression in forebrain neurons is responsive to changes in physiological activity. This is particularly true in the hippocampus where the expression of various neuropeptides has been reported to change in distinct neuronal populations in response to seizure activity. The aim of this work is to review and integrated the information on the pathological changes and functional modifications in neuropeptide systems of the hippocampal formation in kindling and other models of limbic epilepsy. This will be done by presenting a study in which we investigated the changes in the expression of somatostatin, neuropeptide Y (NPY), neurokinin B (NKB) and cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK) in the rat hippocampal principal neurons during and after kindling of the hippocampus using immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization analysis of mRNA. NPY-IR was transiently expressed in the granule cells/mossy fibres after the preconvulsive stage 2 and 2 days but not 1 week after three consecutive tonic-clonic seizures (stage 5). A more pronounced increase was observed in NKB-IR lasting 1 week after kindling acquisition. Only the NKB mRNA expression was enhanced in granule cells at these intervals. At stages 2 and 5, somatostatin- and NPY-IR and their mRNA levels were markedly increased in interneurons in the deep hilus and in the polymorphic cell layer and their presumed projections to the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. NKB- and CCK-IR and their mRNAs were highly expressed in basket cells at both stages of kindling. Their IR was increased in the inner molecular layer of the dentate gyrus in the ventral hippocampus. Peptide-containing neurons in the hilus appeared well preserved in spite of a reduction of Nissl stained cells by 24 % in the stimulated and contralateral hippocampus at stage 5. In the hippocampus proper, somatostatin and NPY-IR were enhanced in the stratum lacunosum molecular while CCK-IR fibres and its mRNA were particularly expressed in the pyramidal cell layer. The number of Somatostatin-, NKB- and CCK-IR cells was increased in the subiculum. The intensity of these changes was similar 2 days after stages 2 or 5 of kindling. Less pronounced effects were observed 1 week after kindling completion. These results, in the frame of the literature data, suggest that lasting functional changes occur in distinct neuropeptide-containing neurons during limbic epileptogenesis. This may have profound effects on synaptic transmission and contribute to modulate hippocampal excitability.

Autoradiographic analysis of neuropeptide Y receptor binding sites in the rat hippocampus after kainic acid-induced limbic seizures

Changes in peptide YY receptor binding were investigated at various intervals after limbic seizures induced in rats by an intraperitoneal injection of kainic acid (10-12 mg/kg). Six to 24 h after kainic acid, specific peptide YY binding, representing Y1 and Y2 neuropeptide Y receptor subtypes, was markedly enhanced in the strata radiatum and oriens CA3 (increase by up to 185% and 178% of control values, respectively). Seven and 30 days after kainic acid, a reduction by up to 63% was found. The basal and kainic acid-induced changes in peptide YY binding were mainly represented by Y2 receptor sites. In the hilus of the dentate gyrus, an increase of global peptide YY binding by up to 400% was observed after 24 h which became attenuated to 125% after 30 days. In the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus global peptide YY binding increased by up to 87% between six and 24 h after kainic acid injection and was reduced by 37% after 30 days. Similar changes were observed in the cerebral cortex. Whereas in the hilus of the dentate gyrus peptide YY binding consisted mainly of Y2 sites, it represented predominantly Y1 receptors in the molecular layer and the cortex. The decline in global and Y2 specific peptide YY binding observed at 30 days in the hippocampus proper was prevented in animals protected from seizure-induced brain damage by an anticonvulsant dose of phenobarbital 3 h after injection of kainic acid. In the stratum moleculare of the dentate gyrus, Y2 specific binding was significantly enhanced while global peptide YY binding was slightly decreased compared to controls. These results show lasting changes in neuropeptide Y receptor binding sites after the acute seizures induced by kainic acid. Since neuropeptide Y modulates glutamatergic neurotransmission, these modifications may play an important role in the hippocampal excitability of chronically epileptic rats.

Alternative splicing at the C-terminal but not at the N-terminal domain of the NMDA receptor NR1 is altered in the kindled hippocampus

Several lines of evidence suggest that N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors significantly contribute to the development of kindling. In addition, a lasting enhancement of the NMDA receptor function has been suggested to play a significant role in the chronic hyperexcitability occurring in the hippocampus after kindling epileptogenesis. We have investigated whether hippocampal kindling induces changes in the NMDA receptor at the molecular level by assessing the expression of mRNAs of the different spliced variants at the N-terminal (exon 5) and C-terminal (exon 21) position of the NMDA receptor 1 (NR1) gene by means of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Alternative splicing at exon 5 confers different sensitivity of the NMDA receptor to polyamines while exon 21 encodes a 37-amino acid insert containing the major phosphorylation sites for protein kinase C. One week after the acquisition of stage 5 of kindling in rats (generalized tonic-clonic seizures), the relative abundance of the two alternatively spliced forms at the C-terminal domain, respectively containing (+) or lacking (-) exon 21, was reversed compared to controls (implanted with electrodes but not stimulated) in the dorsal hippocampus ipsilateral and contralateral to the electrical stimulation. The exon 21+/exon 21- mRNA ratio for controls was 1.3 +/- 0.04 (mean +/- SE); for ipsilaterally kindled rats it was 0.64 +/- 0.05 (P < 0.05), and for contralaterally kindled rats it was 0.48 +/- 0.07 (P < 0.01). Similar bilateral effects were observed in the ventral hippocampus (temporal pole). No changes were found 4 weeks after stage 5 seizures and 1 week after the induction of a single afterdischarge. No significant alterations were induced by kindling in the relative abundance of the spliced variants containing or lacking exon 5. Our findings show selective changes in alternative splicing of the NR1 gene after repeated application of an epileptogenic stimulus. This may generate receptors with different functional properties, which may contribute to the increased sensitivity for the induction of generalized seizures during kindling.

Somatostatin, neuropeptide Y, neurokinin B and cholecystokinin immunoreactivity in two chronic models of temporal lobe epilepsy

Somatostatin-, neuropeptide Y-, neurokinin B- and cholecystokinin-containing neurons were investigated in the rat hippocampus in two chronic models of temporal lobe epilepsy, i.e. 30 days after rapid kindling or electrically induced status epilepticus (post-status epilepticus). After rapid kindling, somatostatin immunoreactivity was strongly increased in interneurons and in the outer and middle molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. In four of six post-status epilepticus rats (status epilepticus I rats), somatostatin immunoreactivity was slightly increased in the dorsal but decreased in the ventral dentate gyrus and molecular layer. Somatostatin immunoreactivity decreased in neurons of the dorsal hilus in the two other post-status epilepticus rats investigated, while a complete loss was found in the respective ventral extension (status epilepticus-II rats). These changes were associated with a different extent of neurodegeneration as assessed by Nissl staining. Similarly, neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity was enhanced in neurons of the hilus and in the middle and outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus in the dorsal hippocampus of rapidly kindled and status epilepticus-I rats. Neuropeptide Y and neurokinin B immunoreactivity was enhanced in the mossy fibers of all post-status epilepticus rats, but not in the rapidly kindled rats. In status epilepticus-II rats, neuropeptide Y-and neurokinin B-positive fibers were also detected in the infrapyramidal region of the stratum oriens of CA3 and in the inner molecular layer of the dentate gyrus in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus respectively, labeling presumably sprouted mossy fibers. Increased staining of neuropeptide Y and neurokinin B was found in the alveus after rapid kindling. Cholecystokinin immunoreactivity was markedly increased in the cerebral cortex, Ammon's horn and the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus in the ventral hippocampus of rapidly kindled and post-status epilepticus rats. The lasting changes in the immunoreactive pattern of various peptides in the hippocampus may reflect functional modifications in the corresponding peptide-containing neurons. These changes may be involved in chronic epileptogenesis, which evolves in response to limbic seizures.

Electrical kindling is associated with a lasting increase in the extracellular levels of kynurenic acid in the rat hippocampus

Endogenous kynurenic acid (KYNA), an excitatory amino acid receptor antagonist with antineurotoxic and anticonvulsant activity, was assessed by microdialysis in the hippocampus of kindled rats. One week after the completion of amygdala or hippocampal kindling (stage 5), the dialysate concentration of KYNA in the hippocampus of both hemispheres was 1.7 +/- 0.1-fold higher than in shams (P < 0.01). Veratridine (50 microM), applied through the probe, reduced extracellular KYNA by 28% within 1 h in controls (P < 0.05), but was ineffective in stage 5 kindled rats. At the preconvulsive stage 2, dialysate KYNA concentration and the effect of veratridine were similar to controls. The activity of KYNA's biosynthetic enzyme, kynurenine aminotransferase, did not change in the hippocampus 1 week after stage 5 seizures. These data indicate an enhanced liberation of KYNA in teh hippocampus of fully kindled animals due to an impairment of normal regulatory mechanisms. This may be of relevance for the control of hippocampal excitability during epileptogenesis.

Extracellular glutamate levels in the hypothalamus and hippocampus of rats after acute or chronic oral intake of monosodium glutamate

Using brain microdialysis we studied the effect of high doses of monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the extracellular concentration of glutamate in the hypothalamus and in the hippocampus of freely moving rats. MSG at 4 g/kg (40% solution) given by gavage caused a significant increase in plasma (5.3 +/- 0.4-fold, P < 0.01) and extracellular glutamate in the hippocampus (4.2 +/- 0.6-fold, P < 0.01) and in the hypothalamus (8.9 +/- 1.7-fold, P < 0.01) compared to control rats receiving a 40% sucrose solution (10 ml/kg). The peak increase was found within 40 min after MSG administration then declining to baseline in the next 80 min. No changes were found in glutamate tissue concentrations. Twenty-one days after ad libitum MSG intake with the diet (approximately 4 g/kg) no changes were found, in plasma, in extracellular and tissue concentration of glutamate in the hypothalamus compared to rats fed with a normal diet. Glutamate release induced by 200 mM KCl was not modified as well. Histological analysis of Nissl-stained brain tissue slices did not reveal any obvious cell loss in the hippocampus after acute or chronic MSG administration.

Trans-synaptic modulation of striatal ACh release in vivo by the parafascicular thalamic nucleus

Electrical stimulation of the parafascicular but not the ventrolateral or dorsomedial thalamic nucleus (ten 0.5 ms, 10 V pulses, 140 microA) of freely moving rats induced a frequency-dependent (2.5, 5, 10 and 20 Hz) increase in the extracellular acetylcholine (ACh) content of the dorsal striatum, assessed by trans-striatal microdialysis. The time-dependent effect of 10 Hz stimulation was studied. The peak increase, 39% above baseline, was attained during 4 min of stimulation. This was blocked by coperfusion with 5 microM tetrodotoxin, indicating that the release we measured represents a physiological process. The facilitatory effect of parafascicular nucleus stimulation does not appear to be associated with indirect action through the cerebral frontal cortex because acute lesion of the excitatory corticostriatal afferents, which by itself reduced basal ACh release by 40%, did not modify the effect of 10 Hz stimulation. The possible involvement of the fasciculus retroflexus in the facilitation of ACh release was also ruled out. The non-competitive NMDA-type receptor antagonist MK-801, applied by reversed dialysis (30 microM) or systemically injected (0.2 mg/kg), significantly reduced the basal ACh output and prevented the tetanus-evoked increase in ACh release. The results provide in vivo evidence that the activity of the cholinergic neurons in the dorsal striatum is trans-synaptically modulated by parafascicular nucleus excitatory afferents through activation of the NMDA subtype of glutamate receptors that is probably located in the striatum.

Functional effects of D-Phe-c[Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Lys-Val-Cys]-Trp-NH2 and differential changes in somatostatin receptor messenger RNAs, binding sites and somatostatin release in kainic acid-treated rats

In situ hybridization histochemistry for somatostatin receptors-1, -2, -3 and -4 section and receptor autoradiography using [125I]CGP 23996, [125I]somatostatin-28, [125I]seglitide and [125I]Tyr3 octreotide were carried out to determine the expression of somatostatin receptor messenger RNAs and binding sites in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of rats 21 days following generalized limbic seizures induced by subcutaneous injection of 12mg/kg kainic acid. In control rats, somatostatin-1 to somatostatin-4 receptor messenger RNAs were found in the pyramidal layer and granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus. After kainate treatment, the CA1 subfield displayed a selective decrease in somatostatin-3 and somatostatin-4 receptor hybridization signals of 35 and 41%, respectively, whereas no changes were observed in the remaining hippocampal areas. Somatostatin-1 and somatostatin-2 receptor messenger RNA expression in the hippocampus remained unaffected by kainate treatment. No effect of kainate was observed in the expression of somatostatin receptor messenger RNAs in the cerebral cortex. In control rats, the selective somatostatin-2 receptor ligands, [125I]seglitide and [125I]Tyr3 octreotide and the non-selective somatostatin receptor ligands [125I]CGP 23996 and [125I]somatostatin-28, labelled preferentially the stratum oriens and radiatum CA1, the granule and molecular layers of the dentate gyrus and the deep layers of the cerebral cortex. [125I]somatostatin-28 and [125I]CGP 23996 labelled sites were selectively decreased by 32 and 39%, respectively, in the stratum radiatum CA1 after kainate treatment. [125I]CGP 23996 binding was also decreased by 35% in the stratum oriens CA1 and by 36% on average in the stratum oriens and radiatum CA3. [125I]seglitide and [125I]Tyr3 octreotide binding was not affected by kainate in any hippocampal region. The granule and molecular layers of the hippocampus and the layers IV-VI of the cerebral cortex did not show changes in binding sites for any of the radioligands analysed. A 18 and 35% decrease in the spontaneous and 50 mM KCl-induced somatostatin release from hippocampal slices was found two days after kainate, a likely reflection of neuronal cell loss. No differences in somatostatin release were observed 21 days after kainate treatment. At this latter time, the rats had an enhanced susceptibility to tonic-clonic seizures induced by intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg/kg pentylenetetrazol, a subconvulsant dose in naive rats. Bilateral infusion of 6 micrograms RC 160, a selective somatostatin-2 receptor agonist, in the dentate gyrus 21 days after kainate, significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the number of animals with tonic-clonic seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adaptive changes in the NMDA receptor complex in rat hippocampus after chronic treatment with CGP 39551

Chronic treatment of adult rats with DL-(E)-2-amino-4-methyl-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic carboxyethylester (CGP 39551) (30 mg/kg orally for 12 days) induced a significant increase, 72 h after the last dose, in the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-sensitive [3H]glutamate binding in the hippocampal pyramidal layer (stratum oriens CA1, CA3: +51% on average; stratum radiatum CA1, CA3: +40% on average; stratum pyramidale CA1: +20%, CA3: +55%) and in the dentate gyrus (+43%) compared to vehicle-injected animals, as assessed by quantitative receptor autoradiography. Similar results were obtained using the NMDA receptor antagonist, [3H]DL-(E)-2-amino-4-propyl-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic acid (CGP 39653). Saturation experiments showed that the increase in [3H]CGP 39653 binding was due to the maximum number of receptors, without changes in affinity. The same regimen did not alter [3H]N-(1-[2-thienyl]-cyclohexyl)-3,4-piperidine (TCP) binding to the ion channel coupled to the receptor but prevented D-serine (5 microM)-induced enhancement of [3H]glutamate binding. NMDA (3-300 microM) enhanced [3H]noradrenaline release from hippocampal slices, and 7-Cl-kynurenic acid (5-100 microM) and (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo-[a,d]cyclo-hepten-5,10-imine maleate (MK 801) (0.03-0.3 microM), antagonists at the glycine site and ion channel respectively, antagonized this effect to the same extent in CGP 39551-treated rats and controls. Chronic CGP 39551 did not affect the neurotoxic potency of quinolinic acid, a selective agonist at the NMDA receptor, injected in the hippocampus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Enhanced neuropeptide Y release in the hippocampus is associated with chronic seizure susceptibility in kainic acid treated rats

We measured the release of neuropeptide Y (NPY) from hippocampal slices of rats at various times after limbic seizures induced by a subcutaneous injection of 12 mg/kg kainic acid (KA). Two days after KA, 100 mM KCl induced a 1.6 +/- 0.2-fold increase in NPY release compared to saline-injected rats (P < 0.05), while spontaneous and 50 mM KCl-induced release were unchanged. Thirty days after KA, the spontaneous and 100 mM KCl-induced efflux of NPY was enhanced 2-fold on average (P < 0.01) compared to controls, while no significant differences were found using 50 mM KCl. Tissue concentration of NPY was raised 2.2 +/- 0.2 times (P < 0.01) 30 days after KA. Thirty days after KA, the rats showed enhanced susceptibility to tonic-clonic seizures, assessed using a normally subconvulsive dose of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ; 30 mg/kg). A selective antibody (Ab) raised against NPY in a rabbit was infused bilaterally for three days in the CA3 area and dentate gyrus (DG) of the dorsal hippocampus of rats treated 30 days before with KA. This significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the number of animals with tonic-clonic seizures induced by 30 mg/kg PTZ, compared to KA treated rats which received the inactivated Ab. The Ab was ineffective in naive rats injected with a full convulsive dose of PTZ (55 mg/kg). The present results show that neuronal release of NPY is enhanced in the hippocampus after limbic seizures induced in rats by KA. This effect persists for at least 30 days and may contribute to the chronically enhanced susceptibility to seizures after injection of this toxin.

Impulse flow dependency of galanin release in vivo in the rat ventral hippocampus

Using microdialysis and a sensitive RIA, we have studied the in vivo release of the neuropeptide galanin (GAL) from the ventral hippocampus of freely moving rats. The spontaneous outflow of GAL-like immunoreactivity (GAL-LI) (1.8 +/- 0.3 fmol per ml per 20 min) was dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+ and was inhibited by tetrodotoxin. Evoked release induced by infusion of KCl (60 mM) or veratridine (148 microM) was also Ca(2+)-dependent and sensitive to tetrodotoxin. Electrical stimulation of the ventral limb of the diagonal band nuclei induced a frequency-dependent (50-200 Hz) and tetrodotoxin-sensitive overflow of GAL-LI in the hippocampus. In vitro GAL-LI release (1.0 +/- 0.02 fmol per ml per 5 min), studied in slices of rat ventral hippocampus, was also Ca(2+)-dependent and was increased in a concentration-dependent manner by KCl depolarization. This study demonstrates the release of the neuropeptide GAL in the rat central nervous system. The in vivo release is related to the activity of the cholinergic GAL-LI-containing cells in the septal diagonal band nuclei. The results are discussed in relation to the coexistence of GAL and acetylcholine within the septal/diagonal band complex.

Changes in the ADP-ribosylation status of some hippocampal proteins are linked to kindling progression

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are a class of excitatory amino acid receptors in the brain which are important for the induction of kindling and kindling-like phenomena. Post hoc sodium nitroprusside-induced ADP ribosylation of some proteins (particularly a p43 and a p39 protein) in homogenates from stimulated hippocampus was reduced at preconvulsive stage II and stage V (tonic-clonic seizures) of dentate gyrus kindling compared with controls. This effect, which probably reflects enhanced endogenous ADP ribosylation, depends on the progressive activation of the NMDA receptors and on the generation of nitric oxide (NO). The early occurrence and the persistence of these modifications suggest they may be associated to the long-lasting changes in neuronal function induced by kindling.

Electrical kindling of the hippocampus is associated with functional activation of neuropeptide Y-containing neurons

The release of neuropeptide Y (NPY) was measured from hippocampal slices of rats at stage 2 (preconvulsive stage) and stage 5 (full seizure expression) of electrical kindling of the dorsal hippocampus (upper blade of the dentate gyrus). Spontaneous release in naive rats (9.0 +/- 0.8 fmol/ml every 10 min) was independent of external Ca2+ but was reduced by 38 +/- 3.6% (P < 0.05) during 20 min incubation with 5 microM tetrodotoxin. Spontaneous efflux in naive rats did not differ from that in shams (implanted with electrodes but not stimulated) or in rats kindled to stage 2 and stage 5. Twenty-five, 50 and 100 mM KCl induced a concentration-dependent release of NPY (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 at 25 and 50-100 mM respectively) from slices of shams. The effect of 100 mM KCl was reduced by 94 +/- 1% (P < 0.01) in the absence of Ca2+. Two days after the last stage 2 stimulation and 1 week after the last stage 5 seizure, NPY release was significantly larger than in shams at all KCl concentrations in the stimulated and contralateral hippocampus (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Forty-eight hours after one single after-discharge and 1 month after the last stage 5 seizure, 50 mM KCl induced a significantly larger release of NPY in the stimulated and contralateral hippocampus (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05), although the effect was less than during kindling.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Genetic toxicity of a mixture of fifteen pesticides commonly found in the Italian diet

To determine the toxicological effects of complex mixtures of pesticides, we obtained data on 100 pesticide residues in common foods of central Italy. Fifteen pesticides were more regularly detected at higher levels (dithiocarbamates, benomyl/carbendazim, thiabendazole, diphenylamine, chlorthalonil, procymidone, fenarimol, chlorpropham, vinchlozolin, methidathion, chlorpyriphos-ethyl, parathion-methyl, parathion, chlorfenviphos, pirimiphos-ethyl). Using itemized data on daily food consumption in Italy, we calculated that the average exposure for an adult subject was 716 micrograms/day, ranging from 148 micrograms of dithiocarbamates to 1 microgram of pirimiphos-ethyl. We made a mixture of these 15 pesticides at concentrations proportional to the ratio determined in foods and tested it with the Salmonella-microsome assay, with and without metabolic activation with PCB-induced rat liver S9. No mutagenic activity was observed at concentrations up to 500 micrograms/plate. We also tested the same mixture at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 20 micrograms/ml on human lymphocytes in vitro, and observed a slight but statistically significant increase in sister-chromatid exchanges at 1 microgram/ml. We also administered the mixture in corn oil by gavage to Wistar rats at doses of 1, 10, and 100 micrograms/kg. After 24 hr the ratio between bone marrow polychromatic and normochromatic lymphocytes (a sign of cellular toxicity) was decreased by the exposure, but we did not observe a significant increase in the frequency of micronuclei. We conclude that the pesticide mixture did not have appreciable genotoxic activity in the assays used.

Increased expression of GAP-43, somatostatin and neuropeptide Y mRNA in the hippocampus during development of hippocampal kindling in rats

The expression and distribution of the mRNA coding for the growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), a putative marker for neuritic growth, for preprosomatostatin and the preproneuropeptide Y (ppNPY) were analysed in the rat hippocampus during the development of hippocampal kindling by an in situ hybridization technique and computer-assisted grain counting in the cell. The levels of GAP-43 mRNA increased significantly in the CA3 pyramidal neurons and hilar polymorphic neurons of the dentate gyrus 2 days after stage 2 of kindling (preconvulsive stage) but not stage 5 (full seizure expression) in the stimulated hippocampus. The distribution of GAP-43 mRNA was the same in the hippocampus of kindled rats as in sham-stimulated animals. Preprosomatostatin mRNA and ppNPY mRNA contents rose significantly in the hilar polymorphic neurons of the dentate gyrus of the stimulated and contralateral hippocampus at both stages of kindling, with the greatest effect at stage 5. In addition, the number of ppNPY mRNA neurons in the fascia dentata was significantly higher in kindled rats than in controls, but there were no differences in the number of preprosomatostatin mRNA-positive cells. Preprosomatostatin and ppNPY mRNAs were also increased in the neurons of the stratum oriens of the CA1-CA3 subfield of fully kindled animals, whereas at stage 2 only neurons of the CA1 stratum oriens showed a significant increase of preprosomatostatin mRNA. No changes in preprosomatostatin and ppNPY mRNA expression were observed in the various regions of the hippocampus after a single afterdischarge or 1 month after stage 5.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Extracellular somatostatin measured by microdialysis in the hippocampus of freely moving rats: evidence for neuronal release

Intracerebral microdialysis combined with a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay was used to monitor the neuronal release of somatostatin (somatostatin-like immunoreactivity, SLI) in the dorsal hippocampus of freely moving rats. The sensitivity of the radioimmunoassay was optimized to detect < 1 fmol/ml. The basal concentration of SLI in 20-min dialysate fractions (5 microliters/min) collected 24 h after probe implantation was stable over at least 200 min. The spontaneous efflux dropped by 54 +/- 6.4% (p < 0.05) when Ca2+ was omitted and 1 mM EGTA added to the Krebs-Ringer solution and by 65.5 +/- 3.2% (p < 0.05) in the presence of 1 microM tetrodotoxin. Depolarizing concentrations of the Na+ channel opener veratridine (6.25, 25, 100 microM) induced 11 +/- 2 (p < 0.05), 17 +/- 2 (p < 0.05), and 21 +/- 5 (p < 0.01) fold increase in SLI concentration, respectively, during the first 20 min of perfusion. The effect of 100 microM veratridine was blocked by coperfusion with 5 microM tetrodotoxin (p < 0.01) and reduced by 79% (p < 0.01) in the virtual absence of Ca2+. Neuronal depolarization by 20 min of perfusion with Krebs-Ringer solution containing 25 and 50 mM KCl and proportionally lowered Na+ increased the dialysate SLI 4.4 +/- 1 (p < 0.05) and 17 +/- 3 (p < 0.01) fold baseline, respectively. Ten micromolar ouabain, a blocker of Na+,K(+)-ATPase, increased the dialysate SLI 15-fold baseline, on average (p < 0.05), during 80 min of perfusion. The results demonstrate the suitability of brain microdialysis for monitoring the neuronal release of SLI and for studying its role in synaptic transmission.

Anti-somatostatin antibody enhances the rate of hippocampal kindling in rats

A somatostatin-specific antibody (Ab) (1:250) was continuously infused into the stimulated dorsal hippocampus of rats from 4 days before to 26 days after the beginning of kindling or until the first stage 5. Controls received boiled Ab. The number of stimulations to the first stage 5 were reduced by 41 +/- 4% (P < 0.01, Student's t-test) in animals infused with the Ab compared to controls. The cumulative after-discharge in the stimulated hippocampus was slightly, although not significantly, reduced. Kindling was not affected when the Ab was infused only during the first 10 stimulations (stage 2). Histological analysis showed no neurotoxic effects in the hippocampus as a consequence of Ab infusion.

Somatostatin release is enhanced in the hippocampus of partially and fully kindled rats

The release of somatostatin (somatostatin-like immunoreactivity) from hippocampal slices during the development of hippocampal kindling in rats was measured under resting and depolarizing conditions. Preliminary experiments in naive rats showed that the spontaneous efflux of somatostatin (4.0 +/- 0.3 fmol/ml every 10 min) was independent of external Ca2+ but was reduced to 71.5 +/- 6% of baseline (P < 0.05) during 20 min incubation with 5 microM tetrodotoxin. Neuronal depolarization with 25, 50 and 100 mM KCl induced a Ca(2+)-dependent somatostatin release, respectively 4.3 +/- 0.4, 16.7 +/- 1.6 and 22.0 +/- 1.3 times baseline (P < 0.01). Veratridine caused a dose-dependent Ca2+ and tetrodotoxin (5 microM) sensitive release ranging from 6.5 +/- 0.1 to 13.0 +/- 1.4 times baseline at 1.4 microM and 50 microM respectively (P < 0.01). One week after the last of three consecutive stage 5 seizures (full seizure expression) or 48 h after the last stage 2 stimulation (preconvulsive stage), 50 mM KCl-induced somatostatin release was significantly higher (1.8 +/- 0.1, P < 0.01) than in shams (animals implanted with electrodes but not stimulated) in the stimulated and contralateral hippocampus. Somatostatin release measured under resting conditions was increased by 1.5 times in the stimulated hippocampus at stage 2 (P < 0.05) and by 2.2 and 1.7 times in both hippocampi at stage 5 (P < 0.01). Forty-eight hours after the induction of a single afterdischarge no significant changes were found in either spontaneous or 50 mM KCl-induced release of somatostatin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Chronic infusion of quinolinic acid in rat striatum: effects on discrete neuronal populations

The intrastriatal infusion of relatively low doses of quinolinic acid (Quin, 4-10 nmol/h) for 1 or 2 weeks induced time-dependent degeneration of neuronal cells. We examined the effects of these infusions on discrete cellular populations. The distribution of somatostatin (SOM)-positive neurons labelled by immunocytochemistry or by NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry and of cholinergic cells stained by acetylcholinesterase was quantified in the peripheral portion of the lesioned area. SOM-positive cells did not appear selectively spared by Quin infusion. The proportion of SOM- and NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons killed by exposure to Quin was similar to or higher than the percentage of total neurons degenerated (from 30 to 85%). A selective sparing of cholinergic cells was observed in all conditions examined; perfusion of 6 nmol/h for a week induced 65% of cell death while not more than 30% of cholinergic neurons were killed. Thus, the neurochemical similarity between the degenerative effects of intrastriatal Quin and Huntington's disease (HD) did not appear confirmed by the chronic perfusion of low doses of Quin for SOM-positive neurons, whereas an analogy between Quin's effects and HD was suggested by the pattern of AChE staining.

[Increasing the pressure of cerebral perfusion to control intracranial pressure]

ICP control can be achieved removing the surgical masses and manipulating the intracranial compartments; in the intensive care setting that can be attempted using CSF withdrawal or changing the cerebrovascular resistances, the intracranial blood content and the cerebral water content. The reduction of the ICP and the maintenance of a good cerebral perfusion pressure are the main aims of the therapy; when any standard treatment fails to control ICP a further attempt to preserve cerebral perfusion should be done by increasing the mean arterial pressure. In 10 patients with severe brain damage (GCS on admission ranging from 3 to 7, mean 5) from subarachnoid hemorrhage (3 cases) or trauma an infusion of dopamine (25-150 mg/h) and noradrenaline (0.4-2.4 mg/h) was started in case of intractable ICP. The ICP was defined intractable when the pressure was more than 40 mmHg for more than 5 m' after maximum therapy, as evaluated using the Therapy Intensity Level score. The infusion obtained a raise of the MAP of approximately 25% and a variable response on ICP. In 9 cases ICP dropped, in one case, instead, the ICP increased together with the arterial pressure. The reduction of ICP was 20-30%, with a good improvement of the CPP. The patients with a good response survived, the only patient without control of the ICP died. The physiopathologic mechanisms of this treatment are discussed; the most suitable explanation is indicated in an autoregulatory process. The infusion of cathecolamines can be harmful, and the patients eligible for this treatment must be carefully chosen. Notwithstanding this approach deserves further studies for the cases of intractable ICP.

Increased preproneuropeptide Y mRNA in the rat hippocampus during the development of hippocampal kindling: comparison with the expression of preprosomatostatin mRNA

The levels of preproneuropeptide Y (ppNPY) mRNA and preprosomatostatin (ppSOM) mRNA were analyzed in different brain regions during the development of hippocampal kindling in rats. ppNPY mRNA levels were markedly elevated in the dorsal hippocampus bilaterally, two days after stage 2 (preconvulsive stage) and stage 5 (full seizure expression). The contents of ppSOM mRNA were slightly, although not significantly, increased in the dorsal hippocampus at stage 2 whereas a significant increase was observed in the ipsilateral hippocampus of fully kindled rats. ppNPY and ppSOM mRNA levels were unchanged in the cortex and striatum at both stages of kindling. These results show that an increased synthesis of somatostatin and neuropeptide Y, with a greater effect for the latter, occurs during hippocampal kindling in rats. The relative role of the two peptides in the development and expression of kindling phenomenon remains to be elucidated.

Neurodegenerative Effects Induced by Chronic Infusion of Quinolinic Acid in Rat Striatum and Hippocampus

In this study we examined whether the potency of quinolinic acid (Quin) in inducing neurodegeneration in vivo was dependent on the exposure time of the tissue to the excitotoxin. The effect of chronic infusion of Quin into rat striatum and hippocampus was examined at the light microscopic level and by cell count on 40 microm Cresyl violet stained brain sections. Continuous infusion was at a constant speed (0.5 microl/h) for various times (15 h - 2 weeks) by osmotic minipumps (Alzet 2002). No build up of [3H]Quin occurred in the tissue during infusion; this was assessed by measuring the radioactivity 3 - 14 days after minipump placement. Intrastriatal infusion of 6 and 10 nmol/h Quin, but not of nicotinic acid, for 1 week induced a dose-dependent neurodegeneration (70 and 90% loss of neurons, respectively, compared to the contralateral striatum) extending 1.2 - 2 mm from the centre of the injection. The onset of the neurotoxicity caused by 10 nmol/h Quin was >24 h. One week's infusion of 4 nmol/h Quin did not induce neurotoxicity, but a 40% drop of neurons, compared to the contralateral side, occurred after 2 weeks. One week's intrahippocampal infusion of 2.4 and 6 nmol/h Quin, but not of nicotinic acid, caused a dose-dependent neurodegeneration with a radius of approximately 1 - 1.5 mm around the injection track. The onset of the neurotoxicity induced by 2.4 nmol/h Quin was < 15 h. The pattern of nerve cell loss induced by 1.2 nmol/h Quin after 1 week (CA4 cells lost in 50% of the rats) did not differ from that observed after 2 weeks of infusion. Nerve cell loss caused by Quin in the striatum and in the hippocampus was restricted to the injected area and antagonized by coinfusion with d(-)-2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic and kynurenic acids in molar ratios of 1:0.1 and 1:3, respectively. These data show that Quin's potency in inducing neurodegeneration in the striatum, but not in the hippocampus, depends on the exposure time of the tissue to the excitotoxin. In addition, neurodegeneration is induced faster by Quin in the hippocampus than in the striatum. The usefulness of this model to study the sequelae of the neurotoxic process in vivo will be discussed.

Epileptogenic activity of two peptides derived from diazepam binding inhibitor after intrahippocampal injection in rats

Peptides DBI 42-50 (DRPGLLDLK) and DBI 43-50 (RPGLLDLK) are synthetic fragments of an 18 amino acid peptide called octadecaneuropeptide (QATVGDVNTDRPGLLDLK), a brain derivative of diazepam-binding inhibitor (DBI). The two peptides were unilaterally injected into the dorsal hippocampus (granule cells of dentate gyrus) of freely moving adult rats. The electroencephalographic (EEG) pattern was continuously recorded from bilateral hippocampal and cortical electrodes, and the animals' behavior was observed throughout the experiment. A dose of 100 nmol peptide 42-50 was required to reliably cause EEG alterations (seizures and spiking). EEG changes, defined as seizures, were characterized by discrete repetitive periods of high-frequency and/or multispike complexes and/or high-voltage synchronized spike or wave activity. EEG seizures were often associated with a frozen appearance of the animal and "wet dog shakes." Tonic-clonic convulsions were not observed. EEG seizures induced by peptide 42-50 were prevented by 90 mg/kg PK 11195, a selective antagonist of a novel GABAA receptor-linked subtype of a benzodiazepine (BDZ) receptor, but were unaffected by flumazenil, an agonist of the "central" type of BDZ receptor and by D(-)2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid, a selective antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype of excitatory amino acid receptors. Light microscopy showed no neuropathological changes in the injected hippocampus. The data show that these DBI-derived peptide fragments induce a typical pattern of limbic seizures in rats. DBI and/or its natural processing products may play a role in the pathophysiology of epilepsy.

Changes in pre- and postsynaptic components of noradrenergic transmission in hippocampal kindling in rats

We investigated whether modifications in noradrenergic neurotransmission occurred during the development of hippocampal kindling in rats. We measured the release of [3H]norepinephrine (NE) induced by field-electrical stimulation, NE-stimulation of inositol phosphates [( 3H]IP) accumulation in the presence of LiCl and isoproterenol-induced accumulation of cAMP in hippocampal slices taken from rats electrically kindled at stages 2 and 5 in the dorsal hippocampus. One week after the last of at least 3 consecutive stage 5 seizures or 48 h after the last stage 2 stimulation, 2 min electrical stimulation of stratum pyramidale CA1-CA3 or dentate gyrus (DG) slices from kindled and contralateral hippocampi induced frequency-dependent NE release (respectively 2, 4 and 8 times spontaneous release measured at 2, 5 and 10 Hz) which did not significantly differ from that observed in shams (implanted with electrodes but not stimulated). Basal release of NE from kindled and sham-treated rats did not differ either. Isoproterenol induced a dose-dependent increase above basal cAMP concentration ranging from 40% at 0.01 microM to 180% at 10 microM (P less than 0.01, Dunnett's test) which did not differ between stages 2 and 5 and sham-hippocampi. NE (1-1000 microM) induced a dose-dependent, prazosin-sensitive increase in [3H]IP accumulation in the hippocampal slices. A significantly higher increase was found at stages 2 (P less than 0.05, Tukey's test) and 5 (P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.01, Tukey's test) compared to shams at all doses studied.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Arterio-jugular difference of oxygen and intracranial pressure in comatose, head injured patients. II. Clinical correlations]

The ICP monitoring is currently used in the treatment of the head injured patients in order to avoid dangerous increases of the pressure and critical reduction of cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). The cerebral blood flow is dependent on the CPP and is kept constant, under normal circumstances, by autoregulation. When autoregulation is impaired or overwhelmed oxygen delivery becomes uncoupled to the metabolic needs of cerebral tissue: in such a condition the rate of oxygen extraction changes and the artero-jugular difference for O2 (AVDO2) reflects this change. The AVDO2 can be used as an estimate of the CBF and can detect a situation of hyperemia (low AVDO2) or ischemia (high AVDO2). In 224 comatose head injured patients the ICP was measured using ventricular or subarachnoid catheters: the CPP was continuously assessed and the outcome was evaluated six months after the trauma. In 45 patients the AVDO2 was studied and the data were corrected for a PaCO2 of 40 mmHg and investigated. The severity of the ICP is decisive for the prognosis and, accordingly, the number of times the CPP is below 60 mmHg plays a major role in the outcome. The mortality rate was 21% for the patients without ICP greater than 20 mmHg and 54% for the patients with severe increases in ICP. The mean values of AVDO2 were low, ranging around 4.6 vol%; only 4 patients showed some temporary evidence of ischemia, as assessed by an AVDO2 greater than 8 vol%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A peptidase-resistant cyclic octapeptide analogue of somatostatin (SMS 201-995) modulates seizures induced by quinolinic and kainic acids differently in the rat hippocampus

Electroencephalographic (EEG) seizures were measured in rats after intrahippocampal injection of 120 nmol quinolinic acid into the stratum radiatum CA1 or 0.19 nmol kainic acid in the dentate gyrus or in the stratum radiatum. Injection of 5 micrograms SMS 201-995, a peptidase-resistant cyclic octapeptide analogue of somatostatin, into the stratum radiatum, 15 min before quinolinic acid, did not significantly modify the number of seizures and the total time in seizures. Five micrograms SMS 201-995 injected into the stratum radiatum reduced the number of seizures induced by kainic acid in the same area and the total time spent in seizures by 58% and 75%, respectively (Student's t-test; P less than 0.01). In both instances the latency to the first ictal episode was not significantly modified. Lesions of the medial septum, which reduced the activity of choline-o-acetyl-transferase (CAT) in the dorsal hippocampus by greater than 90% after one week did not significantly affect seizures induced by quinolinic acid. In rats lesioned in the medial septum, 5 micrograms SMS 201-995 reduced the total time spent in seizures by 43%, without changing the number of ictal episodes and raised the latency to the first quinolinic acid-induced seizure by 53% (ANOVA 2 x 2, P less than 0.05) but had no effect on these measures in the corresponding sham-operated group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Functional and histological consequences of quinolinic and kainic acid-induced seizures on hippocampal somatostatin neurons

Changes in endogenous somatostatin after quinolinic and kainic acids were investigated by measuring somatostatin-like peaks by in vivo voltammetry and by assessing the distribution of somatostatin-positive neurons by immunocytochemistry. Kainic acid (0.19 nmol/0.5 microliter) or quinolinic acid (120 nmol/0.5 microliter) in doses inducing comparable electroencephalographic seizure patterns, were injected into the hippocampus of freely moving rats. Somatostatin-like peaks were measured every 6 min for 3 h by a carbon fiber electrode implanted in the proximity of the injection needle. Kainic acid kept somatostatin-like peaks significantly higher than saline from 48 min after the injection till the end of the recording. Somatostatin-like peaks were dramatically elevated by quinolinic acid, reaching a maximum of 482% 60 min after the injection. Three days later, administration of kainic acid resulted in selective degeneration of CA3 pyramidal neurons but did not affect the number of somatostatin-positive cells, while quinolinic acid induced cell loss in all pyramidal layers and complete degeneration of somatostatin-positive cells in the whole hippocampus. Thus, the quantitative difference in somatostatin release in response to doses of kainic and quinolinic acids inducing comparable electroencephalographic seizure patterns was reflected in a substantial difference in the neurodegenerative consequences. In both models, the release of somatostatin in response to seizures may be interpreted as a "defense" mechanism aimed at reducing the spread of excitation in the tissue.

Kynurenic acid synthesis by human glioma

Biopsy material from human gliomas obtained during neurosurgery was used to investigate whether pathological human brain tissue is capable of producing kynurenic acid (KYNA), a natural brain metabolite which can act as an antagonist at excitatory amino acid receptors. Upon in vitro exposure to 40, 200 or 1000 microM L-kynurenine, the immediate bioprecursor of KYNA, freshly prepared tissue slices in a dose-dependent fashion produced KYNA which was detected in the incubation medium. De novo synthesized KYNA was identified by several chromatographic procedures. Astrocytomas produced significantly more KYNA than glioblastomas.