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Wormuth C, Papazoglou A, Henseler C, Ehninger D, Broich K, Haenisch B, Hescheler J, Köhling R, Weiergräber M. A Novel Rat Infant Model of Medial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Reveals New Insight into the Molecular Biology and Epileptogenesis in the Developing Brain. Neural Plast 2024; 2024:9946769. [PMID: 39104708 PMCID: PMC11300100 DOI: 10.1155/2024/9946769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Although several adult rat models of medial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) have been described in detail, our knowledge of mTLE epileptogenesis in infant rats is limited. Here, we present a novel infant rat model of mTLE (InfRPil-mTLE) based on a repetitive, triphasic injection regimen consisting of low-dose pilocarpine administrations (180 mg/kg. i.p.) on days 9, 11, and 15 post partum (pp). The model had a survival rate of >80% and exhibited characteristic spontaneous recurrent electrographic seizures (SRES) in both the hippocampus and cortex that persisted into adulthood. Using implantable video-EEG radiotelemetry, we quantified a complex set of seizure parameters that demonstrated the induction of chronic electroencephalographic seizure activity in our InfRPil-mTLE model, which predominated during the dark cycle. We further analyzed selected candidate genes potentially relevant to epileptogenesis using a RT-qPCR approach. Several candidates, such as the low-voltage-activated Ca2+ channel Cav3.2 and the auxiliary subunits β 1 and β 2, which were previously reported to be upregulated in the hippocampus of the adult pilocarpine mTLE model, were found to be downregulated (together with Cav2.1, Cav2.3, M1, and M3) in the hippocampus and cortex of our InfRPil-mTLE model. From a translational point of view, our model could serve as a blueprint for childhood epileptic disorders and further contribute to antiepileptic drug research and development in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Wormuth
- Experimental NeuropsychopharmacologyFederal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anna Papazoglou
- Experimental NeuropsychopharmacologyFederal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christina Henseler
- Experimental NeuropsychopharmacologyFederal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dan Ehninger
- Translational BiogerontologyGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Str. 27, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Karl Broich
- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175, Bonn, Germany
| | - Britta Haenisch
- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, DZNE), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127, Bonn, Germany
- Center for Translational MedicineMedical FacultyUniversity of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hescheler
- Institute of NeurophysiologyUniversity of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, Robert-Koch-Str. 39, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center of Physiology and PathophysiologyUniversity of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, Robert-Koch-Str. 39, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Köhling
- Oscar Langendorff Institute of PhysiologyUniversity of Rostock, Gertrudenstraße 9, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Marco Weiergräber
- Experimental NeuropsychopharmacologyFederal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175, Bonn, Germany
- Institute of NeurophysiologyUniversity of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, Robert-Koch-Str. 39, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center of Physiology and PathophysiologyUniversity of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, Robert-Koch-Str. 39, 50931, Cologne, Germany
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Chang Y, Chen YJ, Wang SJ. Sodium Houttuyfonate Prevents Seizures and Neuronal Cell Loss by Maintaining Glutamatergic System Stability in Male Rats with Kainic Acid-Induced Seizures. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1312. [PMID: 38927519 PMCID: PMC11202147 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12061312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The present study evaluated the antiseizure and neuroprotective effects of sodium houttuyfonate (SH), a derivative of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (H. cordata), in a kainic acid (KA)- induced seizure rat model and its underlying mechanism. Sprague Dawley rats were administered normal saline, SH (50 or 100 mg/kg), or carbamazepine (300 mg/kg) by oral gavage for seven consecutive days before the intraperitoneal administration of KA (15 mg/kg). SH showed antiseizure effects at a dose of 100 mg/kg; it prolonged seizure latency and decreased seizure scores. SH also significantly decreased neuronal loss in the hippocampi of KA-treated rats, which was associated with the prevention of glutamate level increase, the upregulation of glutamate reuptake-associated proteins (excitatory amino acid transporters 1-3), glutamate metabolism enzyme glutamine synthetase, the downregulation of the glutamate synthesis enzyme glutaminase, and significant alterations in the expression of AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid receptor) and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor) receptor subunits in the hippocampus. Furthermore, the effects of SH were similar to those of the antiseizure drug carbamazepine. Therefore, the results of the present study suggest that SH has antiseizure effects on KA-induced seizures, possibly through the prevention of glutamatergic alterations. Our findings suggest that SH is a potential alternative treatment that may prevent seizures by preserving the normal glutamatergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Chang
- School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan;
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei 11101, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jun Chen
- Department of Respiratory Therapy, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan;
| | - Su-Jane Wang
- School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan;
- Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan City 33303, Taiwan
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Eghbali F, Dehkordi HT, Amini-Khoei H, Lorigooini Z, Rahimi-Madiseh M. The potential role of nitric oxide in the anticonvulsant effects of betulin in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures in mice. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2024; 16:527-534. [PMID: 38706971 PMCID: PMC11068554 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy poses a significant challenge, especially for drug-resistant cases, necessitating novel treatment avenues. This study explores the potential interplay between nitric oxide (NO) and the anticonvulsant effects of betulin, a triterpene with promising neuroprotective properties. While betulin exhibits anticonvulsant effects, the specific involvement of NO remains inadequately understood, constituting a pivotal gap in current knowledge. One hundred NMRI mice were randomly assigned to diverse treatment groups, with seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). Parameters such as seizure threshold, nitrite levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and iNOS/nNOS gene expressions were assessed. Betulin significantly increased seizure thresholds and mitigated PTZ-induced NO levels. These findings suggest a potential modulation of NO-related pathways, emphasizing betulin's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant attributes. The study sheds light on betulin's multifaceted impact on oxidative stress, NO regulation, and iNOS/nNOS gene expressions. The ability of betulin to suppress iNOS/nNOS gene expressions, leading to reduce NO production, underscores its potential as an anticonvulsant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Eghbali
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Hossein Tahmasebi Dehkordi
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Hossein Amini-Khoei
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Zahra Lorigooini
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mohammad Rahimi-Madiseh
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
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Hammer M, Krzyzaniak C, Bahramnejad E, Smelser K, Hack J, Watkins J, Ronaldson P. Sex differences in physiological response to increased neuronal excitability in a knockin mouse model of pediatric epilepsy. Clin Sci (Lond) 2024; 138:205-223. [PMID: 38348743 PMCID: PMC10881277 DOI: 10.1042/cs20231572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epilepsy is a common neurological disease; however, few if any of the currently marketed antiseizure medications prevent or cure epilepsy. Discovery of pathological processes in the early stages of epileptogenesis has been challenging given the common use of preclinical models that induce seizures in physiologically normal animals. Moreover, despite known sex dimorphism in neurological diseases, females are rarely included in preclinical epilepsy models. METHODS We characterized sex differences in mice carrying a pathogenic knockin variant (p.N1768D) in the Scn8a gene that causes spontaneous tonic-clonic seizures (TCs) at ∼3 months of age and found that heterozygous females are more resilient than males in mortality and morbidity. To investigate the cellular mechanisms that underlie female resilience, we utilized blood-brain barrier (BBB) and hippocampal transcriptomic analyses in heterozygous mice before seizure onset (pre-TC) and in mice that experienced ∼20 TCs (post-TC). RESULTS In the pre-TC latent phase, both sexes exhibited leaky BBB; however, patterns of gene expression were sexually dimorphic. Females exhibited enhanced oxidative phosphorylation and protein biogenesis, while males activated gliosis and CREB signaling. After seizure onset (chronic phase), females exhibited a metabolic switch to lipid metabolism, while males exhibited increased gliosis and BBB dysfunction and a strong activation of neuroinflammatory pathways. CONCLUSION The results underscore the central role of oxidative stress and BBB permeability in the early stages of epileptogenesis, as well as sex dimorphism in response to increasing neuronal hyperexcitability. Our results also highlight the need to include both sexes in preclinical studies to effectively translate results of drug efficacy studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F. Hammer
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A
- Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A
| | | | - Erfan Bahramnejad
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A
| | | | - Joshua B. Hack
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A
| | - Joseph C. Watkins
- Department of Mathematics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A
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Singh T, Ramakrishnan S, Wu X, Reddy DS. Sex Differences in Organophosphate Model of Benzodiazepine-Refractory Status Epilepticus and Neuronal Damage. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2024; 388:313-324. [PMID: 37770202 PMCID: PMC10801723 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.123.001747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differences are common in human epilepsy. Although men are more susceptible to seizure than women, the mechanisms underlying sex-specific vulnerabilities to seizure are unclear. The organophosphate (OP) diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) is known to cause neurotoxicity and status epilepticus (SE), a serious neurologic condition that causes prolonged seizures and brain damage. Current therapies for OP poisoning and SE do not consider neuronal variations between male and female brains. Therefore, we investigated sex-dependent differences in electrographic seizure activity and neuronal injury using the DFP model of refractory SE in rats. Electroencephalogram recordings were used to monitor DFP-induced SE, and the extent of brain injury was determined using fluoro-jade-B staining to detect cellular necrosis. After DFP exposure, we observed striking sex-dependent differences in SE and seizure activity patterns as well as protective responses to midazolam treatment. Following acute DFP exposure, male animals displayed more severe SE with intense epileptiform spiking and greater mortality than females. In contrast, we observed significantly more injured cells and cellular necrosis in the hippocampus and other brain regions in females than in males. We also observed extensive neuronal injury in the somatosensory cortex of males. The anticonvulsant effect of midazolam against SE was limited in this model and found to be similar in males and females. However, unlike males, females exhibited substantially more protection against neuronal damage after midazolam treatment. Overall, these results demonstrate significant sex-dependent differences in DFP-induced refractory SE and neuronal damage patterns, suggesting that it may be possible to develop sex-specific neuroprotective strategies for OP intoxication and refractory SE. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Sex-dependent differences in neurotoxicity and status epilepticus (SE) are key biological variables after organophosphate (OP) exposure. Here, we investigated sex-dependent differences in SE and brain injury after acute diisopropylfluorophosphate exposure. Male rats had more severe SE and less survival than females, while females had more neuronal damage. Females had more neuroprotection to midazolam than males, while both sexes had similar but partial anticonvulsant effects. These findings suggest that a sex-specific therapeutic approach may prevent neurological complications of OP-induced SE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanveer Singh
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics and Institute of Pharmacology and Neurotherapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Bryan, Texas
| | - Sreevidhya Ramakrishnan
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics and Institute of Pharmacology and Neurotherapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Bryan, Texas
| | - Xin Wu
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics and Institute of Pharmacology and Neurotherapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Bryan, Texas
| | - Doodipala Samba Reddy
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics and Institute of Pharmacology and Neurotherapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Bryan, Texas
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Asadi‐Pooya AA, Fattahi D, Abolpour N, Boostani R, Farazdaghi M, Sharifi M. Epilepsy classification using artificial intelligence: A web-based application. Epilepsia Open 2023; 8:1362-1368. [PMID: 37565252 PMCID: PMC10690646 DOI: 10.1002/epi4.12800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of the current endeavor was to evaluate the feasibility of using easily accessible and applicable clinical information (based on history taking and physical examination) in order to make a reliable differentiation between idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) versus focal epilepsy using machine learning (ML) methods. METHODS The first phase of the study was a retrospective study of a prospectively developed and maintained database. All patients with an electro-clinical diagnosis of IGE or focal epilepsy, at the outpatient epilepsy clinic at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, from 2008 until 2022, were included. The first author selected a set of clinical features. Using the stratified random portioning method, the dataset was divided into the train (70%) and test (30%) subsets. Different types of classifiers were assessed and the final classification was made based on their best results using the stacking method. RESULTS A total number of 1445 patients were studied; 964 with focal epilepsy and 481 with IGE. The stacking classifier led to better results than the base classifiers in general. This algorithm has the following characteristics: precision: 0.81, sensitivity: 0.81, and specificity: 0.77. SIGNIFICANCE We developed a pragmatic algorithm aimed at facilitating epilepsy classification for individuals whose epilepsy begins at age 10 years and older. Also, in order to enable and facilitate future external validation studies by other peers and professionals, the developed and trained ML model was implemented and published via an online web-based application that is freely available at http://www.epiclass.ir/f-ige.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali A. Asadi‐Pooya
- Epilepsy Research CenterShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
- Department of Neurology, Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy CenterThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Davood Fattahi
- Epilepsy Research CenterShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
| | - Nahid Abolpour
- Epilepsy Research CenterShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
| | - Reza Boostani
- Department of Computer Science Engineering and Information TechnologyShiraz UniversityShirazIran
| | - Mohsen Farazdaghi
- Epilepsy Research CenterShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
| | - Mehrdad Sharifi
- Vice‐Chancellery for Treatment AffairsShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
- Emergency Medicine Department, School of MedicineShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
- Emergency Medicine Research CenterShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
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Lawande NV, Conklin EA, Christian‐Hinman CA. Sex and gonadectomy modify behavioral seizure susceptibility and mortality in a repeated low-dose kainic acid systemic injection paradigm in mice. Epilepsia Open 2023; 8:1512-1522. [PMID: 37715318 PMCID: PMC10690657 DOI: 10.1002/epi4.12828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Sex differences in epilepsy appear driven in part due to effects of gonadal steroids, with varying results in experimental models based on species, strain, and method of seizure induction. Furthermore, removing the main source of these steroids via gonadectomy may impact seizure characteristics differently in males and females. Repeated low-dose kainic acid (RLDKA) systemic injection paradigms were recently shown to reliably induce status epilepticus (SE) and hippocampal histopathology in C57BL/6J mice. Here, we investigated whether seizure susceptibility in a RLDKA injection protocol exhibits a sex difference and whether gonadectomy differentially influences response to this seizure induction paradigm in males and females. METHODS Adult C57BL/6J mice were left gonad-intact as controls or gonadectomized (females: ovariectomized, OVX; males: orchidectomized, ORX). At least 2 weeks later, KA was injected ip, every 30 minutes at 7.5 mg/kg or less until the animal reached SE, defined by at least 5 generalized seizures (GS, Racine stage 3 or higher). Parameters of susceptibility to GS induction, SE development, and mortality rates were quantified. RESULTS No differences in seizure susceptibility or mortality were observed between control males and control females. Gonadectomized mice exhibited increased susceptibility and reduced latency to both GS and SE in comparison to corresponding controls of the same sex, but the effects were stronger in males. In addition, ORX males, but not OVX females, exhibited strongly increased seizure-induced mortality. SIGNIFICANCE The RLDKA protocol is notable for its efficacy in inducing SE and seizure-induced histopathology in C57BL/6J mice, the background for many transgenic strains in current use in epilepsy research. The present results indicate that this protocol may be beneficial for investigating the effects of gonadal hormone replacement on seizure susceptibility, mortality, and seizure-induced histopathology, and that gonadectomy unmasks sex differences in susceptibility to seizures and mortality not observed in gonad-intact controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niraj V. Lawande
- Department of Molecular and Integrative PhysiologyUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | | | - Catherine A. Christian‐Hinman
- Department of Molecular and Integrative PhysiologyUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
- Neuroscience ProgramUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and TechnologyUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
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Rao NS, Putra M, Meyer C, Almanza A, Thippeswamy T. The effects of Src tyrosine kinase inhibitor, saracatinib, on the markers of epileptogenesis in a mixed-sex cohort of adult rats in the kainic acid model of epilepsy. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1294514. [PMID: 38025259 PMCID: PMC10665569 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1294514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation are key processes of epileptogenesis in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). A considerable number (∼30%) of patients with epilepsy are resistant to currently available antiseizure drugs and thus there is a need to develop adjunct therapies to modify disease progression. A vast majority of interventional strategies to treat TLE have utilized males which limits the translational nature of the studies. In this study, we investigated the effects of repeated low-dose kainic acid (KA) injection on the initial status epilepticus (SE) and the effects of Src kinase inhibitor, saracatinib (SAR/AZD0530; 20 mg/kg, oral, daily for 7 days), in a mixed-sex cohort of adult Sprague Dawley rats during early epileptogenesis. There were no sex differences in response to KA-induced SE, and neither did the stage of estrus influence SE severity. KA-induced SE caused significant astrogliosis and microgliosis across the hippocampus, piriform cortex, and amygdala. SAR treatment resulted in a significant reduction of microgliosis across brain regions. Microglial morphometrics such as branch length and the endpoints strongly correlated with CD68 expression in the vehicle-treated group but not in the SAR-treated group, indicating mitigation by SAR. KA-induced SE caused significant neuronal loss, including parvalbumin-positive inhibitory neurons, in both vehicle (VEH) and SAR-treated groups. SAR treatment significantly mitigated FJB-positive neuronal counts as compared to the VEH group. There was an increase in C3-positive reactive astrocytes in the VEH-treated group, and SAR treatment significantly reduced the increase in the piriform cortex. C3-positive astrogliosis significantly correlated with CD68 expression in the amygdala (AMY) of VEH-treated rats, and SAR treatment mitigated this relationship. There was a significant increase of pSrc(Y419)-positive microglia in both KA-treated groups with a statistically insignificant reduction by SAR. KA-induced SE caused the development of classical glial scars in the piriform cortex (PIR) in both KA-treated groups, while SAR treatment led to a 42.17% reduction in the size of glial scars. We did not observe sex differences in any of the parameters in this study. SAR, at the dose tested in the rat kainate model for a week in this study mitigated some of the markers of epileptogenesis in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Thimmasettappa Thippeswamy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
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Bahramnejad E, Barney ER, Lester S, Hurtado A, Thompson T, Watkins JC, Hammer MF. Greater female than male resilience to mortality and morbidity in the Scn8a mouse model of pediatric epilepsy. Int J Neurosci 2023:1-13. [PMID: 37929583 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2023.2279497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Females and males of all ages are affected by epilepsy; however, unlike many clinical studies, most preclinical research has focused on males. Genetic variants in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene, SCN8A, are associated with a broad spectrum of neurological and epileptic syndromes. Here we investigate sex differences in the natural history of the Scn8a-N1768D knockin mouse model of pediatric epilepsy. METHODS We utilize 24/7 video to monitor juveniles and adults of both sexes to investigate variability in seizure activity (e.g. onset and frequency), mortality and morbidity, response to cannabinoids, and mode of death. We also monitor sleep architecture using a noninvasive piezoelectric method in order to identify factors that influence seizure severity and outcome. RESULTS Both sexes had nearly 100% penetrance in seizure onset and early mortality. However, adult heterozygous (D/+) females were more resilient as exhibited by the ability to tolerate more seizures over a longer lifespan. Homozygous (D/D) juveniles did not exhibit a sex difference in overall survival. Female estrus cycle was disrupted before seizure onset, while sleep was disrupted in both sexes in association with seizure onset. Females typically died while in convulsive status epilepticus; however, a high proportion of males died while not experiencing behavioral seizures. Only juvenile and adult males benefited from cannabinoid administration. CONCLUSIONS These results support the hypothesis that factors associated with sexual differentiation play a role in the neurobiology of epilepsy and point to the importance of including both sexes in the design of studies to identify new epilepsy therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erfan Bahramnejad
- Graduate Program in Pharmacology, University of Arizona, Tucson Arizona, AZ, USA
| | - Emily R Barney
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson Arizona, AZ, USA
| | - Sarah Lester
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson Arizona, AZ, USA
| | - Aurora Hurtado
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson Arizona, AZ, USA
| | | | - Joseph C Watkins
- Department of Mathematics, University of Arizona, Tucson Arizona, AZ, USA
| | - Michael F Hammer
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson Arizona, AZ, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson Arizona, AZ, USA
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Zhou J, Wei Z, Chen S, Xie H, Huang W, Liu M, Wu X. Movement disorders associated with antiseizure medications: A real-world disproportionality analysis of the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2023; 89:3389-3400. [PMID: 37353394 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Patients with epilepsy often require long-term use of antiseizure medications (ASMs) to control their seizures. However, movement disorders (MDs) related to ASMs can significantly impact their quality of life. This study aims to analyse MDs related to ASMs in the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System database to provide recommendations for safe medication. METHODS All adverse drug reactions associated with 26 marketed ASMs in Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System were extracted for analysis. Disproportionality analyses were used to assess the association between ASMs and MDs, and signal colour scale maps were created to identify potential ASM-MD safety signals. RESULTS A total of 1921 cases experienced MDs while taking ASMs were included. A higher prevalence of MDs was observed in females compared to males. The association between specific MDs with ASMs was revealed, including known and unknown MDs such as tremors, Parkinson and paralysis. Lamotrigine and carbamazepine exhibited multiple significant MDs, while levetiracetam and pregabalin were linked to the earlier onset of MDs. Generally, higher doses were linked to a higher incidence of MDs. CONCLUSION MDs were the most obvious adverse drug reactions in the nervous system triggered by using ASMs. Fourteen drugs exhibited positive signals for MDs, including some not previously reported. Conversely, 12 ASMs were deemed to have a lower possibility of inducing MDs. The incidence of MDs can be mitigated by selecting appropriate ASMs for epileptic patients. These findings enhance our understanding of the relationship between ASMs and MDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxing Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Zipeng Wei
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Shengyang Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Helin Xie
- Department of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Wei Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Maobai Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xuemei Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
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11
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Gage M, Vasanthi SS, Meyer CM, Rao NS, Thedens DR, Kannurpatti SS, Thippeswamy T. Sex-based structural and functional MRI outcomes in the rat brain after soman (GD) exposure-induced status epilepticus. Epilepsia Open 2023; 8:399-410. [PMID: 36718979 PMCID: PMC10235578 DOI: 10.1002/epi4.12701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Exposure to the nerve agent, soman (GD), induces status epilepticus (SE), epileptogenesis, and even death. Although rodent models studying the pathophysiological mechanisms show females to be more reactive to soman, no tangible sex differences in brains postexposure have been reported. In this study, we used multimodal imaging using MRI in adult rats to determine potential sex-based biomarkers of soman effects. METHODS Male and female Sprague Dawley rats were challenged with 1.2 × LD50 soman followed by medical countermeasures. Ten weeks later, the brains were analyzed via structural and functional MRI. RESULTS Despite no significant sex differences in the initial SE severity after soman exposure, long-term MRI-based structural and functional differences were evident in the brains of both sexes. While T2 MRI showed lesser soman-induced neurodegeneration, large areas of T1 enhancements occurred in females than in males, indicating a distinct pathophysiology unrelated to neurodegeneration. fMRI-based resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC), indicated greater reductions in soman-exposed females than in males, associating with the T1 enhancements (unrelated to neurodegeneration) rather than T2-hyperintensity or T1-hypointensity (representing neurodegeneration). The wider T1 enhancements associating with the decreased spontaneous neuronal activity in multiple resting-state networks in soman-exposed females than males suggest that neural changes unrelated to cellular atrophy impinge on brain function postexposure. Taken together with lower spontaneous neural activity in soman-exposed females, the results indicate some form of neuroprotective state that was not present in males. SIGNIFICANCE The results indicate that endpoints other than neurodegeneration may need to be considered to translate sex-based nerve agent effects in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Gage
- Department of Biomedical SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State UniversityAmesIowaUSA
| | - Suraj S Vasanthi
- Department of Biomedical SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State UniversityAmesIowaUSA
| | - Christina M Meyer
- Department of Biomedical SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State UniversityAmesIowaUSA
| | - Nikhil S Rao
- Department of Biomedical SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State UniversityAmesIowaUSA
| | - Daniel R Thedens
- Department of RadiologyCarver College of Medicine, The University of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Sridhar S. Kannurpatti
- Department of Radiology, Rutgers Biomedical and Health SciencesNew Jersey Medical SchoolNewarkNew JerseyUSA
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12
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D'Amora M, Galgani A, Marchese M, Tantussi F, Faraguna U, De Angelis F, Giorgi FS. Zebrafish as an Innovative Tool for Epilepsy Modeling: State of the Art and Potential Future Directions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097702. [PMID: 37175408 PMCID: PMC10177843 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
This article discusses the potential of Zebrafish (ZF) (Danio Rerio), as a model for epilepsy research. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder affecting both children and adults, and many aspects of this disease are still poorly understood. In vivo and in vitro models derived from rodents are the most widely used for studying both epilepsy pathophysiology and novel drug treatments. However, researchers have recently obtained several valuable insights into these two fields of investigation by studying ZF. Despite the relatively simple brain structure of these animals, researchers can collect large amounts of data in a much shorter period and at lower costs compared to classical rodent models. This is particularly useful when a large number of candidate antiseizure drugs need to be screened, and ethical issues are minimized. In ZF, seizures have been induced through a variety of chemoconvulsants, primarily pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), kainic acid (KA), and pilocarpine. Furthermore, ZF can be easily genetically modified to test specific aspects of monogenic forms of human epilepsy, as well as to discover potential convulsive phenotypes in monogenic mutants. The article reports on the state-of-the-art and potential new fields of application of ZF research, including its potential role in revealing epileptogenic mechanisms, rather than merely assessing iatrogenic acute seizure modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta D'Amora
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, 56125 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Galgani
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Marchese
- Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology-ZebraLab, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Ugo Faraguna
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Filippo Sean Giorgi
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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13
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Mazid S, Waters EM, Lopez-Lee C, Poultan Kamakura R, Rubin BR, Levin ER, McEwen BS, Milner TA. Both Nuclear and Membrane Estrogen Receptor Alpha Impact the Expression of Estrogen Receptors and Plasticity Markers in the Mouse Hypothalamus and Hippocampus. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:632. [PMID: 37106832 PMCID: PMC10135777 DOI: 10.3390/biology12040632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Estrogens via estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) genomic and nongenomic signaling can influence plasticity processes in numerous brain regions. Using mice that express nuclear only ERα (NOER) or membrane only ERα (MOER), this study examined the effect of receptor compartmentalization on the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and the hippocampus. The absence of nuclear and membrane ERα expression impacted females but not males in these two brain areas. In the PVN, quantitative immunohistochemistry showed that the absence of nuclear ERα increased nuclear ERβ. Moreover, in the hippocampus CA1, immuno-electron microscopy revealed that the absence of either nuclear or membrane ERα decreased extranuclear ERα and pTrkB in synapses. In contrast, in the dentate gyrus, the absence of nuclear ERα increased pTrkB in synapses, whereas the absence of membrane ERα decreased pTrkB in axons. However, the absence of membrane only ERα decreased the sprouting of mossy fibers in CA3 as reflected by changes in zinc transporter immunolabeling. Altogether these findings support the idea that both membrane and nuclear ERα contribute overlapping and unique actions of estrogen that are tissue- and cellular-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanoara Mazid
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, 407 East 61st Street, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Waters
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Chloe Lopez-Lee
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, 407 East 61st Street, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Renata Poultan Kamakura
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, 407 East 61st Street, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Batsheva R. Rubin
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, 407 East 61st Street, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ellis R. Levin
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, 3205 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, USA
| | - Bruce S. McEwen
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Teresa A. Milner
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, 407 East 61st Street, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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14
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Chen HJ, Lee YJ, Huang CC, Yen YC, Lin YF. The effect of age at onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus on epilepsy vulnerability. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2023; 199:110638. [PMID: 36963508 DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2023.110638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
AIMS To examine whether type 1 diabetes age onset correlates with epilepsy incidence. METHODS We used type 1 diabetes longitudinal data with onset age ≤ 40 years enrolled in Taiwan National Health Insurance program to examine type 1 diabetes onset age effect on epilepsy occurrence. RESULTS In 6,165 type 1 diabetes patients, onset age groups included 3,571 patients (58%) ≤ 18 years (childhood-onset) and 2,594 patients (42%) > 18 years (adulthood-onset). After 8.6 years median follow-up following type 1 diabetes onset, epilepsy incidence rate in adulthood-onset group was 2.26-fold higher than that in childhood-onset group. Epilepsy incidence rate ratio was lowest in those with onset age 6-12 years in comparison to that in patients with onset age ≤ 6 years, but was highest in onset age of 30-40 years. Longer follow-up duration correlates with higher epilepsy risk in adulthood-onset group. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that onset age 30-40 years, male, more than one diabetic ketoacidosis episode, and unprovoked seizure events were independent risk factors for epilepsy following type 1 diabetes onset. CONCLUSIONS There is age-related vulnerability to epilepsy following type 1 diabetes onset. Adulthood-onset type 1 diabetes is an independent risk factor for epilepsy susceptibility after type 1 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Ju Chen
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Pediatrics, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yann-Jinn Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, Taipei Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Ching Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
| | - Yu-Chun Yen
- Research Center of Biostatistics, College of Management, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan
| | - Yuh-Feng Lin
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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15
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Cutia CA, Leverton LK, Christian-Hinman CA. Sex and estrous cycle stage shape left-right asymmetry in chronic hippocampal seizures in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.20.524965. [PMID: 36712086 PMCID: PMC9882284 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.20.524965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Lateralization of hippocampal function is indicated by varied outcomes of patients with neurological disorders that selectively affect one hemisphere of this structure, such as temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The intrahippocampal kainic acid (IHKA) injection model of TLE allows for targeted damage to the left or right hippocampus, enabling systematic comparison of effects of left-right asymmetry on seizure and non-seizure outcomes. Although varying non-seizure phenotypic outcomes based on injection side in dorsal hippocampus were recently evaluated in this model, differences in chronic seizure patterns in left- (IHKA-L) vs. right-injected (IHKA-R) IHKA animals have yet to be evaluated. Here, we evaluated hippocampal seizure incidence in male and female IHKA-L and IHKA-R mice. Females displayed increased electrographic seizure activity compared to males at both 2 months and 4 months post-injection (mpi). In addition, IHKA-L females showed higher seizure frequency than IHKA-R on diestrus and estrus at 2 mpi, but seizure duration and time in seizures were only higher in IHKA-L females on diestrus. These cycle stage-associated changes, however, did not persist to 4 mpi. Furthermore, this lateralized difference in seizure burden was not observed in males. These results indicate for the first time that the side of IHKA injection can shape chronic electrographic seizure burden. Overall, these results demonstrate a female-specific left-right asymmetry in hippocampal function can interact with estrous cycle stage to shape chronic seizures in mice with epilepsy, with implications for neural activity and behavior in both normal and disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathryn A. Cutia
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801 USA
| | - Leanna K. Leverton
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801 USA
| | - Catherine A. Christian-Hinman
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801 USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801 USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801 USA
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16
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Barker-Haliski M, Pitsch J, Galanopoulou AS, Köhling R. A companion to the preclinical common data elements for phenotyping seizures and epilepsy in rodent models. A report of the TASK3-WG1C: Phenotyping working group of the ILAE/AES joint translational task force. Epilepsia Open 2022. [PMID: 36461665 DOI: 10.1002/epi4.12676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by spontaneous seizures and behavioral comorbidities. The underlying mechanisms of seizures and epilepsy across various syndromes lead to diverse clinical presentation and features. Similarly, animal models of epilepsy arise from numerous dissimilar inciting events. Preclinical seizure and epilepsy models can be evoked through many different protocols, leaving the phenotypic reporting subject to diverse interpretations. Serendipity can also play an outsized role in uncovering novel drivers of seizures or epilepsy, with some investigators even stumbling into epilepsy research because of a new genetic cross or unintentional drug effect. The heightened emphasis on rigor and reproducibility in preclinical research, including that which is conducted for epilepsy, underscores the need for standardized phenotyping strategies. To address this goal as part of the TASK3-WG1C Working Group of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE)/American Epilepsy Society (AES) Joint Translational Task Force, we developed a case report form (CRF) to describe the common data elements (CDEs) necessary for the phenotyping of seizure-like behaviors in rodents. This companion manuscript describes the use of the proposed CDEs and CRF for the visual, behavioral phenotyping of seizure-like behaviors. These phenotyping CDEs and accompanying CRF can be used in parallel with video-electroencephalography (EEG) studies or as a first visual screen to determine whether a model manifests seizure-like behaviors before utilizing more specialized diagnostic tests, like video-EEG. Systematic logging of seizure-like behaviors may help identify models that could benefit from more specialized diagnostic tests to determine whether these are epileptic seizures, such as video-EEG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Barker-Haliski
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Julika Pitsch
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Aristea S Galanopoulou
- Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Isabelle Rapin Division of Child Neurology, Laboratory of Developmental Epilepsy, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- Dominick P Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Isabelle Rapin Division of Child Neurology, Laboratory of Developmental Epilepsy, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Rüdiger Köhling
- Oscar-Langendorff-Institut für Physiologie, Universitätsmedizin Rostock, Rostock, Germany
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17
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Neuroprotective effects of Lasmiditan and Sumatriptan in an experimental model of post-stroke seizure in mice: Higher effects with concurrent opioid receptors or K ATP channels inhibitors. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2022; 454:116254. [PMID: 36155770 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2022.116254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early post-stroke seizure frequently occurs in stroke survivors within the first few days and is associated with poor functional outcomes. Therefore, efficient treatments of such complications with less adverse effects are pivotal. In this study, we investigated the possible beneficial effects of lasmiditan and sumatriptan against post-stroke seizures in mice and explored underlying mechanisms in their effects. METHODS Stroke was induced by double ligation of the right common carotid artery in mice. Immediately after the ligation, lasmiditan (0.1 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) or sumatriptan (0.03 mg/kg, i.p.) were administered. Twenty-four hours after the stroke induction, seizure susceptibility was evaluated using the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced clonic seizure model. In separate experiments, naltrexone (a non-specific opioid receptor antagonist) and glibenclamide (a KATP channel blocker) were administered 15 min before lasmiditan or sumatriptan injection. To evaluate the underlying signaling pathways, ELISA analysis of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) and western blot analysis of anti- and pro-apoptotic markers (Bcl-2 and Bax) were performed on mice isolated brain tissues. RESULTS Lasmiditan (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) and sumatriptan (0.03 mg/kg, i.p.) remarkably decreased seizure susceptibility in stroke animals by reducing inflammatory cytokines and neuronal apoptosis. Concurrent administration of naltrexone (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or glibenclamide (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.) with lasmiditan or sumatriptan resulted in a higher neuroprotection against clonic seizures and efficiently reduced the inflammatory and apoptotic markers. CONCLUSION Lasmiditan and sumatriptan significantly increased post-stroke seizure thresholds in mice by suppressing inflammatory cytokines and neuronal apoptosis. Lasmiditan and sumatriptan seem to exert higher effects on seizure threshold with concurrent administration of the opioid receptors or KATP channels modulators.
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18
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Panarese A, Vissani M, Meneghetti N, Vannini E, Cracchiolo M, Micera S, Caleo M, Mazzoni A, Restani L. Disruption of layer-specific visual processing in a model of focal neocortical epilepsy. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:4173-4187. [PMID: 36089833 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The epileptic brain is the result of a sequence of events transforming normal neuronal populations into hyperexcitable networks supporting recurrent seizure generation. These modifications are known to induce fundamental alterations of circuit function and, ultimately, of behavior. However, how hyperexcitability affects information processing in cortical sensory circuits is not yet fully understood. Here, we investigated interlaminar alterations in sensory processing of the visual cortex in a mouse model of focal epilepsy. We found three main circuit dynamics alterations in epileptic mice: (i) a spreading of visual contrast-driven gamma modulation across layers, (ii) an increase in firing rate that is layer-unspecific for excitatory units and localized in infragranular layers for inhibitory neurons, and (iii) a strong and contrast-dependent locking of firing units to network activity. Altogether, our data show that epileptic circuits display a functional disruption of layer-specific organization of visual sensory processing, which could account for visual dysfunction observed in epileptic subjects. Understanding these mechanisms paves the way to circuital therapeutic interventions for epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Panarese
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Matteo Vissani
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicolò Meneghetti
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Eleonora Vannini
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marina Cracchiolo
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvestro Micera
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 56127 Pisa, Italy.,Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Centre for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Caleo
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, via G. Colombo 3, 35121 Padua, Italy
| | - Alberto Mazzoni
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Restani
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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19
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Choi IY, Cho ML, Cho KO. Interleukin-17A Mediates Hippocampal Damage and Aberrant Neurogenesis Contributing to Epilepsy-Associated Anxiety. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:917598. [PMID: 35875667 PMCID: PMC9298510 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.917598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorder is one of the most common comorbidities in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), but its neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. Here we identified a novel target, interleukin-17A (IL-17A), which can contribute to TLE-associated anxiety. Epileptic seizures were induced in 6-week-old IL-17A wild-type (WT) and knockout (KO) mice by pilocarpine injection. To evaluate anxiety level, we subjected mice to open field and elevated plus maze (EPM) tests and measured the time animals spent in center zone or open arms. Epileptic IL-17A WT mice showed thigmotaxis and reluctance to stay in open arms, whereas IL-17A KO mice spent more time in the center area and open arms, suggesting alleviated anxiety in epilepsy. Histological assessments revealed that hippocampal neuronal death as evaluated by Fluoro-Jade B staining was significantly reduced in IL-17A KO mice. Moreover, at 6 weeks after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus, the number of hilar ectopic granule cells was also markedly decreased by IL-17A deficiency without a difference in the proliferation of neural progenitors or the generation of newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus. Taken together, our data demonstrated that IL-17A deletion mitigates TLE-associated anxiety behavior, possibly via the hippocampal neuroprotection and the reduction of seizure-induced aberrant neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- In-Young Choi
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Mi-La Cho
- Department of Medical Life Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Biomedicine and Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyung-Ok Cho
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Biomedicine and Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.,Catholic Neuroscience Institute, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.,Institute for Aging and Metabolic Diseases, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
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20
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Gøtzsche CR, Woldbye DPD, Hundahl CA, Hay-Schmidt A. Neuroglobin deficiency increases seizure susceptibility but does not affect basal behavior in mice. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:1921-1932. [PMID: 35822521 PMCID: PMC9544565 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuroglobin (Ngb) is found in the neurones of several different brain areas and is known to bind oxygen and other gaseous molecules and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro, but it does not seem to act as a respiratory molecule for neurones. Using male and female Ngb‐knockout (KO) mice, we addressed the role of Ngb in neuronal brain activity using behavioral tests but found no differences in general behaviors, memory processes, and anxiety−/depression‐like behaviors. Oxidative stress and ROS play key roles in epileptogenesis, and oxidative injury produced by an excessive production of free radicals is involved in the initiation and progression of epilepsy. The ROS binding properties led us to hypothesize that lack of Ngb could affect central coping with excitatory stimuli. We consequently explored whether exposure to the excitatory molecule kainate (KA) would increase severity of seizures in mice lacking Ngb. We found that the duration and severity of seizures were increased, while the latency time to develop seizures was shortened in Ngb‐KO compared to wildtype adult female mice. Consistently, c‐fos expression after KA was significantly increased in Ngb‐KO mice in the amygdala and piriform cortex, regions rich in Ngb and known to be centrally involved in seizure generation. Moreover, the measured c‐fos expression levels were correlated with seizure susceptibility. With these new findings combined with previous studies we propose that Ngb could constitute an intrinsic defense mechanism against neuronal hyperexcitability and oxidative stress by buffering of ROS in amygdala and other Ngb‐containing brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casper R Gøtzsche
- Department for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David P D Woldbye
- Department for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Anders Hay-Schmidt
- Department of Odontology, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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21
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Rao NS, Meyer C, Vasanthi SS, Massey N, Samidurai M, Gage M, Putra M, Almanza AN, Wachter L, Thippeswamy T. DFP-Induced Status Epilepticus Severity in Mixed-Sex Cohorts of Adult Rats Housed in the Same Room: Behavioral and EEG Comparisons. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:895092. [PMID: 35620057 PMCID: PMC9127803 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.895092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex is a biological variable in experimental models. In our previous diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) studies, female rats required a higher dose of DFP to achieve a somewhat similar severity of status epilepticus (SE) as males. In those studies, male and female rats were bought separately from the same vendor, housed in different rooms, and the DFP used was from different batches. We had also shown that surgery for epidural electrodes implantation reduces the threshold for SE. Our recent study in the soman (GD) model using a mixed-sex cohort of rats housed individually but in the same room showed that females achieved significantly higher SE severity than males for the same dose of GD. In this study, we demonstrate that housing the mixed-sex cohorts in the same room and treating them with DFP (4 mg/kg, s.c.) from the same pool, though from different batches, yielded reproducible SE severity in both sexes and both telemetry (surgery) and non-telemetry (non-surgery) groups. We conducted experiments in four mixed-sex cohorts of adult Sprague-Dawley rats. In females, the surgery for implanting the telemetry devices reduced the latency to convulsive seizure (CS) and increased SE severity compared to non-telemetry females. However, there were no sex differences in latency or SE severity within telemetry or non-telemetry groups. Once animals reached CS stage ≥3, they remained in CS stage in both sexes until midazolam was administered. Midazolam (3 mg/kg, i.m.) treatment 1-one-hour post-DFP significantly reduced epileptiform spikes in both sexes. The mortality was only 2% in 24 h. Irrespective of sex or stage of estrous cycle or surgery, the animals had continuous convulsive SE for ∼40 min. In telemetry rats, electrographic changes correlated with behavioral seizures. However, there was a significant difference in SE severity and the latency between directly-observed behavioral CS and EEG-based CS quantification in both sexes. Overall, these results suggest that housing both sexes in the same room and treating with DFP in a mixed-sex cohort from the same pool of reagents will minimize variability in SE severity. Such rigorous experiments will yield better outcomes while testing disease-modifying agents in epilepsy models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil S Rao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Christina Meyer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Suraj S Vasanthi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Nyzil Massey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Manikandan Samidurai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Meghan Gage
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Marson Putra
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Aida N Almanza
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Logan Wachter
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Thimmasettappa Thippeswamy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
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22
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Matovu D, Cavalheiro EA. Differences in Evolution of Epileptic Seizures and Topographical Distribution of Tissue Damage in Selected Limbic Structures Between Male and Female Rats Submitted to the Pilocarpine Model. Front Neurol 2022; 13:802587. [PMID: 35449517 PMCID: PMC9017681 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.802587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence shows that clinical features and comorbidities in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) may have different manifestations depending on the sex of patients. However, little is known about how sex-related mechanisms can interfere with the processes underlying the epileptic phenomenon. The findings of this study show that male rats with epilepsy in the pilocarpine model have longer-lasting and more severe epileptic seizures, while female rats have a higher frequency of epileptic seizures and a greater number of seizure clusters. Significant sex-linked pathological changes were also observed: epileptic brains of male and female rats showed differences in mass reduction of 41.8% in the amygdala and 18.2% in the olfactory bulb, while loss of neuronal cells was present in the hippocampus (12.3%), amygdala (18.1%), and olfactory bulb (7.5%). Another important sex-related finding was the changes in non-neuronal cells with increments for the hippocampus (36.1%), amygdala (14.7%), and olfactory bulb (37%). Taken together, our study suggests that these neuropathological changes may underlie the differences in the clinical features of epileptic seizures observed in male and female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Matovu
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Escola Paulista de Medicina/UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Esper A Cavalheiro
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Escola Paulista de Medicina/UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil
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23
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Bigelow LJ, Fiset C, Jarvis JHM, Macleod S, Wöhr M, Benke TA, Bernard PB. Early-life seizures modify behavioral response to ultrasonic vocalization playback in adult rats. Epilepsy Behav 2022; 127:108494. [PMID: 34954511 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Early-life seizures (ELS) are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, due to a lack of effective treatments for ELS, it is not clear whether ELS plays a causal role, potentiates the ASD phenotype, or is the result of a common pathophysiology. Deficits in communications are a core feature of ASD. To isolate the impact of ELS on communication, we probed the behavioral consequences of a single episode of kainic acid-induced early-life seizures (KA-ELS) in male and female Sprague-Dawley (CD) rats. Deficits in auditory communication were observed in adult male rats as assessed by behavioral response to ultrasonic vocalization (USV) playback. Ultrasonic vocalizations are classified into two major categories - 50-kHz (positive) calls and 22-kHz (aversive) calls. Behavioral response was assessed via rat preference for different USV playback in a radial arm maze. Response to 22-kHz calls was not impacted by ELS while response to 50-kHz calls was impacted. All rats demonstrated positional preference for the arms adjacent to where 50-kHz calls were playing compared to background noise; however, male ELS rats demonstrated a greater positional preference for the arms adjacent to where 50-kHz calls were playing compared to male control rats. These studies demonstrate that responses to socially relevant auditory cues are chronically altered in adult male rats following a single episode of ELS. We speculate that these changes contribute to previously reported social deficits associated with ELS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan J Bigelow
- University of Prince Edward Island, Biomedical Sciences, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - Catherine Fiset
- University of Prince Edward Island, Biomedical Sciences, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - Jack H M Jarvis
- University of Prince Edward Island, Biomedical Sciences, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - Sarah Macleod
- University of Prince Edward Island, Biomedical Sciences, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - Markus Wöhr
- KU Leuven, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Research Unit Brain and Cognition, Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Social and Affective Neuroscience Research Group, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-University of Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Tim A Benke
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Paul B Bernard
- University of Prince Edward Island, Biomedical Sciences, Charlottetown, PE, Canada.
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24
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Gozzelino L, Kochlamazashvili G, Baldassari S, Mackintosh AI, Licchetta L, Iovino E, Liu YC, Bennett CA, Bennett MF, Damiano JA, Zsurka G, Marconi C, Giangregorio T, Magini P, Kuijpers M, Maritzen T, Norata GD, Baulac S, Canafoglia L, Seri M, Tinuper P, Scheffer IE, Bahlo M, Berkovic SF, Hildebrand MS, Kunz WS, Giordano L, Bisulli F, Martini M, Haucke V, Hirsch E, Pippucci T. OUP accepted manuscript. Brain 2022; 145:2313-2331. [PMID: 35786744 PMCID: PMC9337808 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most frequent neurological diseases, with focal epilepsy accounting for the largest number of cases. The genetic alterations involved in focal epilepsy are far from being fully elucidated. Here, we show that defective lipid signalling caused by heterozygous ultra-rare variants in PIK3C2B, encoding for the class II phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase PI3K-C2β, underlie focal epilepsy in humans. We demonstrate that patients’ variants act as loss-of-function alleles, leading to impaired synthesis of the rare signalling lipid phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate, resulting in mTORC1 hyperactivation. In vivo, mutant Pik3c2b alleles caused dose-dependent neuronal hyperexcitability and increased seizure susceptibility, indicating haploinsufficiency as a key driver of disease. Moreover, acute mTORC1 inhibition in mutant mice prevented experimentally induced seizures, providing a potential therapeutic option for a selective group of patients with focal epilepsy. Our findings reveal an unexpected role for class II PI3K-mediated lipid signalling in regulating mTORC1-dependent neuronal excitability in mice and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Albert Ian Mackintosh
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Cell Biology, Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Robert-Roessle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Laura Licchetta
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Epilepsy Center (Reference Center for Rare and Complex Epilepsies—EpiCARE), Bologna, Italy
| | - Emanuela Iovino
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Yu Chi Liu
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VictoriaAustralia
| | - Caitlin A Bennett
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mark F Bennett
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VictoriaAustralia
| | - John A Damiano
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gábor Zsurka
- Department of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research and Department of Epileptology, University Bonn Medical Center, Venusberg Campus 1, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Caterina Marconi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Tania Giangregorio
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Pamela Magini
- U.O. Genetica Medica, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marijn Kuijpers
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Cell Biology, Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Robert-Roessle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tanja Maritzen
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Cell Biology, Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Robert-Roessle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Nanophysiology, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Danilo Norata
- Department of Excellence in Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan and Center for the Study of Atherosclerosis, SISA Bassini Hospital Cinisello B, Italy
| | - Stéphanie Baulac
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau—Paris Brain Institute—ICM, Inserm, CNRS, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Laura Canafoglia
- Unit of Integrated Diagnostics for Epilepsy, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Seri
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- U.O. Genetica Medica, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Tinuper
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Epilepsy Center (Reference Center for Rare and Complex Epilepsies—EpiCARE), Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Ingrid E Scheffer
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melanie Bahlo
- Spedali Civili, Neuropsychiatric Department, Brescia, Italy
- Faculty of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Samuel F Berkovic
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael S Hildebrand
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wolfram S Kunz
- Department of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research and Department of Epileptology, University Bonn Medical Center, Venusberg Campus 1, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Lucio Giordano
- Spedali Civili, Neuropsychiatric Department, Brescia, Italy
| | - Francesca Bisulli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Epilepsy Center (Reference Center for Rare and Complex Epilepsies—EpiCARE), Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Volker Haucke
- Volker Haucke Robert-Roessle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany E-mail:
| | - Emilio Hirsch
- Correspondence may also be addressed to: Emilio Hirsch via Nizza 52, 10126 Torino (TO), Italy E-mail:
| | - Tommaso Pippucci
- Correspondence to: Tommaso Pippucci Via Giuseppe Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna (BO), Italy E-mail:
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25
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Sex differences in the rodent hippocampal opioid system following stress and oxycodone associated learning processes. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 212:173294. [PMID: 34752798 PMCID: PMC8748406 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, opioid abuse has risen especially among women. In both sexes hippocampal neural circuits involved in associative memory formation and encoding of motivational incentives are critically important in the transition from initial drug use to drug abuse/dependence. Opioid circuits, particularly the mossy fiber pathway, are crucial for associative memory processes important for addiction. Our anatomical studies, especially those utilizing electron microscopic immunocytochemistry, have provided unique insight into sex differences in the distribution of opioid peptides and receptors in specific hippocampal circuits and how these distributions are altered following stress and oxycodone-associative learning processes. Here we review the hippocampal opioid system in rodents with respect to ovarian hormones effects and baseline sex differences then sex differences following acute and chronic stress. Next, we review sex differences in the hippocampal opioid system in unstressed and chronically stressed rats following oxycodone conditioned place preference. We show that opioid peptides and receptors are distributed within hippocampal circuits in females with elevated estrogen states in a manner that would enhance sensitivity to endogenous and exogenous opioids. Moreover, chronic stress primes the opioid system in females in a manner that would promote opioid-associative learning processes. In contrast, chronic stress has limited effects on the opioid system in males and reduces its capacity to support opioid-mediated learning processes. Interestingly, acute stress appears to prime males for opioid associative learning. On a broader scale the findings highlighted in this review have important implications in understanding sex differences in opioid drug use and abuse.
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26
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Blankers SA, Galea LA. Androgens and Adult Neurogenesis in the Hippocampus. ANDROGENS: CLINICAL RESEARCH AND THERAPEUTICS 2021; 2:203-215. [PMID: 35024692 PMCID: PMC8744005 DOI: 10.1089/andro.2021.0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus is modulated by steroid hormones, including androgens, in male rodents. In this review, we summarize research showing that chronic exposure to androgens, such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone, enhances the survival of new neurons in the dentate gyrus of male, but not female, rodents, via the androgen receptor. However, the neurogenesis promoting the effect of androgens in the dentate gyrus may be limited to younger adulthood as it is not evident in middle-aged male rodents. Although direct exposure to androgens in adult or middle age does not significantly influence neurogenesis in female rodents, the aromatase inhibitor letrozole enhances neurogenesis in the hippocampus of middle-aged female mice. Unlike other androgens, androgenic anabolic steroids reduce neurogenesis in the hippocampus of male rodents. Collectively, the research indicates that the ability of androgens to enhance hippocampal neurogenesis in adult rodents is dependent on dose, androgen type, sex, duration, and age. We discuss these findings and how androgens may be influencing neuroprotection, via neurogenesis in the hippocampus, in the context of health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A. Blankers
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Liisa A.M. Galea
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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27
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Lu YL, Scharfman HE. New Insights and Methods for Recording and Imaging Spontaneous Spreading Depolarizations and Seizure-Like Events in Mouse Hippocampal Slices. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:761423. [PMID: 34899190 PMCID: PMC8663723 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.761423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Spreading depolarization (SD) is a sudden, large, and synchronous depolarization of principal cells which also involves interneurons and astrocytes. It is followed by depression of neuronal activity, and it slowly propagates across brain regions like cortex or hippocampus. SD is considered to be mechanistically relevant to migraine, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury (TBI), but there are many questions about its basic neurophysiology and spread. Research into SD in hippocampus using slices is often used to gain insight and SD is usually triggered by a focal stimulus with or without an altered extracellular buffer. Here, we optimize an in vitro experimental model allowing us to record SD without focal stimulation, which we call spontaneous. This method uses only an altered extracellular buffer containing 0 mM Mg2+ and 5 mM K+ and makes it possible for simultaneous patch and extracellular recording in a submerged chamber plus intrinsic optical imaging in slices of either sex. We also add methods for quantification and show the quantified optical signal is much more complex than imaging alone would suggest. In brief, acute hippocampal slices were prepared with a chamber holding a submerged slice but with flow of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) above and below, which we call interface-like. As soon as slices were placed in the chamber, aCSF with 0 Mg2+/5 K+ was used. Most mouse slices developed SD and did so in the first hour of 0 Mg2+/5 K+ aCSF exposure. In addition, prolonged bursts we call seizure-like events (SLEs) occurred, and the interactions between SD and SLEs suggest potentially important relationships. Differences between rats and mice in different chambers are described. Regarding optical imaging, SD originated in CA3 and the pattern of spread to CA1 and the dentate gyrus was similar in some ways to prior studies but also showed interesting differences. In summary, the methods are easy to use, provide new opportunities to study SD, new insights, and are inexpensive. They support previous suggestions that SD is diverse, and also suggest that participation by the dentate gyrus merits greater attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ling Lu
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - Helen E. Scharfman
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
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28
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Cruz Del Angel Y, Orfila JE, Herson PS, Brooks-Kayal A, González MI. Down-regulation of AMPA receptors and long-term potentiation during early epileptogenesis. Epilepsy Behav 2021; 124:108320. [PMID: 34592633 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by the occurrence of recurrent spontaneous seizures. Behavioral disorders and altered cognition are frequent comorbidities affecting the quality of life of people with epilepsy. These impairments are undoubtedly multifactorial and the specific mechanisms underlying these comorbidities are largely unknown. Long-lasting alterations in synaptic strength due to changes in expression, phosphorylation, or function of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid receptors (AMPARs) have been associated with alterations in neuronal synaptic plasticity. In particular, alterations in hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), a well-accepted model of learning and memory, have been associated with altered cognition in epilepsy. Here, we analyzed the effects of pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) on AMPARs to determine if alterations in AMPAR signaling might be one of the mechanisms contributing to altered cognition during epilepsy. We found alterations in the phosphorylation and plasma membrane expression of AMPARs. In addition, we detected altered expression of GRIP, a key scaffolding protein involved in the proper distribution of AMPARs at the neuronal cell surface. Interestingly, a functional analysis revealed that these molecular changes are linked to impaired LTP. Together, these observations suggest that seizure-induced alterations in the molecular machinery regulating AMPARs likely impact the neuron's ability to support synaptic plasticity that is required for learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin Cruz Del Angel
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology and Translational Epilepsy Research Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - James E Orfila
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Paco S Herson
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Amy Brooks-Kayal
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology and Translational Epilepsy Research Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Marco I González
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology and Translational Epilepsy Research Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
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29
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González EA, Calsbeek JJ, Tsai YH, Tang MY, Andrew P, Vu J, Berg EL, Saito NH, Harvey DJ, Supasai S, Gurkoff GG, Silverman JL, Lein PJ. Sex-specific acute and chronic neurotoxicity of acute diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP)-intoxication in juvenile Sprague-Dawley rats. Curr Res Toxicol 2021; 2:341-356. [PMID: 34622217 PMCID: PMC8484742 DOI: 10.1016/j.crtox.2021.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Preclinical efforts to improve medical countermeasures against organophosphate (OP) chemical threat agents have largely focused on adult male models. However, age and sex have been shown to influence the neurotoxicity of repeated low-level OP exposure. Therefore, to determine the influence of sex and age on outcomes associated with acute OP intoxication, postnatal day 28 Sprague-Dawley male and female rats were exposed to the OP diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP; 3.4 mg/kg, s.c.) or an equal volume of vehicle (∼80 µL saline, s.c.) followed by atropine sulfate (0.1 mg/kg, i.m.) and pralidoxime (2-PAM; 25 mg/kg, i.m.). Seizure activity was assessed during the first 4 h post-exposure using behavioral criteria and electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. At 1 d post-exposure, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was measured in cortical tissue, and at 1, 7, and 28 d post-exposure, brains were collected for neuropathologic analyses. At 1 month post-DFP, animals were analyzed for motor ability, learning and memory, and hippocampal neurogenesis. Acute DFP intoxication triggered more severe seizure behavior in males than females, which was supported by EEG recordings. DFP caused significant neurodegeneration and persistent microglial activation in numerous brain regions of both sexes, but astrogliosis occurred earlier and was more severe in males compared to females. DFP males and females exhibited pronounced memory deficits relative to sex-matched controls. In contrast, acute DFP intoxication altered hippocampal neurogenesis in males, but not females. These findings demonstrate that acute DFP intoxication triggers seizures in juvenile rats of both sexes, but the seizure severity varies by sex. Some, but not all, chronic neurotoxic outcomes also varied by sex. The spatiotemporal patterns of neurological damage suggest that microglial activation may be a more important factor than astrogliosis or altered neurogenesis in the pathogenesis of cognitive deficits in juvenile rats acutely intoxicated with OPs.
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Key Words
- 2-PAM, pralidoxime
- AChE, acetylcholinesterase
- AS, atropine-sulfate
- BChE, butyrylcholinesterase
- CT, computed tomography
- ChE, cholinesterase
- Cognitive deficits
- DFP, diisopropylfluorophosphate
- EEG, electroencephalogram
- FJC, Fluoro-Jade C
- Neurodegeneration
- Neurogenesis
- Neuroinflammation
- OP, organophosphate
- PBS, phosphate-buffered saline
- ROI, region of interest
- SE, status epilepticus
- Seizures
- Sex differences
- T2w, T2-weighted
- VEH, vehicle
- i.m., intramuscular
- i.p., intraperitoneal
- s.c., subcutaneous
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo A. González
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jonas J. Calsbeek
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Yi-Hua Tsai
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Mei-Yun Tang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Peter Andrew
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Joan Vu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Elizabeth L. Berg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, 2230, Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Naomi H. Saito
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, School of Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Danielle J. Harvey
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, School of Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Suangsuda Supasai
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Gene G. Gurkoff
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, 4860 Y Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, 1544 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95618, USA
| | - Jill L. Silverman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, 2230, Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Pamela J. Lein
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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Lévesque M, Biagini G, de Curtis M, Gnatkovsky V, Pitsch J, Wang S, Avoli M. The pilocarpine model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy: Over one decade later, with more rodent species and new investigative approaches. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:274-291. [PMID: 34437936 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Fundamental work on the mechanisms leading to focal epileptic discharges in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) often rests on the use of rodent models in which an initial status epilepticus (SE) is induced by kainic acid or pilocarpine. In 2008 we reviewed how, following systemic injection of pilocarpine, the main subsequent events are the initial SE, the latent period, and the chronic epileptic state. Up to a decade ago, rats were most often employed and they were frequently analysed only behaviorally. However, the use of transgenic mice has revealed novel information regarding this animal model. Here, we review recent findings showing the existence of specific neuronal events during both latent and chronic states, and how optogenetic activation of specific cell populations modulate spontaneous seizures. We also address neuronal damage induced by pilocarpine treatment, the role of neuroinflammation, and the influence of circadian and estrous cycles. Updating these findings leads us to propose that the rodent pilocarpine model continues to represent a valuable tool for identifying the basic pathophysiology of MTLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Lévesque
- Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital and Departments of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Giuseppe Biagini
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41100 Modena, Italy
| | - Marco de Curtis
- Epilepsy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Vadym Gnatkovsky
- Epilepsy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milano, Italy; Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Julika Pitsch
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Siyan Wang
- Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital and Departments of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Massimo Avoli
- Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital and Departments of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada; Departments of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada; Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy.
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Tilelli CQ, Flôres LR, Cota VR, Castro OWD, Garcia-Cairasco N. Amygdaloid complex anatomopathological findings in animal models of status epilepticus. Epilepsy Behav 2021; 121:106831. [PMID: 31864944 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2019.106831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Temporal lobe epileptic seizures are one of the most common and well-characterized types of epilepsies. The current knowledge on the pathology of temporal lobe epilepsy relies strongly on studies of epileptogenesis caused by experimentally induced status epilepticus (SE). Although several temporal lobe structures have been implicated in the epileptogenic process, the hippocampal formation is the temporal lobe structure studied in the greatest amount and detail. However, studies in human patients and animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy indicate that the amygdaloid complex can be also an important seizure generator, and several pathological processes have been shown in the amygdala during epileptogenesis. Therefore, in the present review, we systematically selected, organized, described, and analyzed the current knowledge on anatomopathological data associated with the amygdaloid complex during SE-induced epileptogenesis. Amygdaloid complex participation in the epileptogenic process is evidenced, among others, by alterations in energy metabolism, circulatory, and fluid regulation, neurotransmission, immediate early genes expression, tissue damage, cell suffering, inflammation, and neuroprotection. We conclude that major efforts should be made in order to include the amygdaloid complex as an important target area for evaluation in future research on SE-induced epileptogenesis. This article is part of the Special Issue "NEWroscience 2018".
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiane Queixa Tilelli
- Laboratory of Physiology, Campus Centro-Oeste Dona Lindu, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Av. Sebastião Gonçalves Coelho, 400, Bairro Belvedere, Divinópolis, MG 35.501-296, Brazil.
| | - Larissa Ribeiro Flôres
- Laboratory of Physiology, Campus Centro-Oeste Dona Lindu, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Av. Sebastião Gonçalves Coelho, 400, Bairro Belvedere, Divinópolis, MG 35.501-296, Brazil
| | - Vinicius Rosa Cota
- Laboratory of Neuroengineering and Neuroscience (LINNce), Department of Electrical Engineering, Campus Santo Antônio, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Praça Frei Orlando, 170, Centro, São João Del Rei, MG 36307-352, Brazil
| | - Olagide Wagner de Castro
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Campus A. C. Simões, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro do Martins, Maceió, AL 57072-970, Brazil
| | - Norberto Garcia-Cairasco
- Neurophysiology and Experimental Neuroethology Laboratory (LNNE), Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14049-900, Brazil.
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Sharp JL, Ethridge SB, Ballard SL, Potter KM, Schmidt KT, Smith MA. The effects of chronic estradiol treatment on opioid self-administration in intact female rats. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 225:108816. [PMID: 34171824 PMCID: PMC8282761 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Heroin intake decreases significantly during proestrus in normally cycling female rats, and this effect is mediated by endogenous estradiol but not endogenous progesterone. The purpose of this study was to determine whether chronic administration of exogenous estradiol decreases intake of the semi-synthetic opioid, heroin, and the fully synthetic opioid, remifentanil, in intact female rats. Normally cycling female rats were implanted with intravenous catheters and trained to self-administer heroin on a fixed ratio (FR1) schedule of reinforcement. Rats were treated chronically with daily administration of either a low dose of estradiol (0.5 mcg, sc), a high dose of estradiol (5.0 mcg, sc), or vehicle (peanut oil, sc). After two weeks of heroin self-administration training, dose-effect curves were determined for both heroin and remifentanil. Chronic administration of estradiol non-significantly decreased heroin intake and significantly decreased remifentanil intake. Estradiol-induced decreases in remifentanil intake were dose-dependent, characterized by large effect sizes, and greatest in rats treated with the high dose of estradiol. These data indicate that chronic estradiol administration decreases opioid intake in intact female rats with medium to large effect sizes across opioids. These findings suggest that estrogen-based pharmacotherapies may represent a novel treatment approach for women with opioid use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Sharp
- Department of Psychology, Davidson College, Davidson, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Kenzie M Potter
- Department of Psychology, Davidson College, Davidson, NC, USA
| | - Karl T Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Davidson College, Davidson, NC, USA
| | - Mark A Smith
- Department of Psychology, Davidson College, Davidson, NC, USA.
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Reddy DS. Brain structural and neuroendocrine basis of sex differences in epilepsy. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 175:223-233. [PMID: 33008527 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00016-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This chapter reviews the current information about sex differences in epilepsy and potential mechanisms underlying sex differences in seizure susceptibility and epilepsy. The susceptibility to and occurrence of seizures are generally higher in men than women. There is gender-specific epilepsies such as catamenial epilepsy, a neuroendocrine condition in which seizures are most often clustered around the perimenstrual or periovulatory period in adult women. Structural differences in cerebral morphology, the structural and functional circuits may render men and women differentially vulnerable to seizure disorders and epileptogenic processes. Changes in seizure sensitivity are evident at puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, often attributed to circulating steroid hormones and neurosteroids as well as neuroplasticity in receptor systems. An improved understanding of the sexual dimorphism in neural circuits and the neuroendocrine basis of sex differences or resistance to protective drugs is essential to develop sex-specific therapies for seizure conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doodipala Samba Reddy
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States.
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Aleshin VA, Graf AV, Artiukhov AV, Boyko AI, Ksenofontov AL, Maslova MV, Nogués I, di Salvo ML, Bunik VI. Physiological and Biochemical Markers of the Sex-Specific Sensitivity to Epileptogenic Factors, Delayed Consequences of Seizures and Their Response to Vitamins B1 and B6 in a Rat Model. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14080737. [PMID: 34451834 PMCID: PMC8400147 DOI: 10.3390/ph14080737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The disturbed metabolism of vitamins B1 or B6, which are essential for neurotransmitters homeostasis, may cause seizures. Our study aims at revealing therapeutic potential of vitamins B1 and B6 by estimating the short- and long-term effects of their combined administration with the seizure inductor pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). The PTZ dose dependence of a seizure and its parameters according to modified Racine’s scale, along with delayed physiological and biochemical consequences the next day after the seizure are assessed regarding sexual dimorphism in epilepsy. PTZ sensitivity is stronger in the female than the male rats. The next day after a seizure, sex differences in behavior and brain biochemistry arise. The induced sex differences in anxiety and locomotor activity correspond to the disappearance of sex differences in the brain aspartate and alanine, with appearance of those in glutamate and glutamine. PTZ decreases the brain malate dehydrogenase activity and urea in the males and the phenylalanine in the females. The administration of vitamins B1 and B6 24 h before PTZ delays a seizure in female rats only. This desensitization is not observed at short intervals (0.5–2 h) between the administration of the vitamins and PTZ. With the increasing interval, the pyridoxal kinase (PLK) activity in the female brain decreases, suggesting that the PLK downregulation by vitamins contributes to the desensitization. The delayed effects of vitamins and/or PTZ are mostly sex-specific and interacting. Our findings on the sex differences in sensitivity to epileptogenic factors, action of vitamins B1/B6 and associated biochemical events have medical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasily A. Aleshin
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.A.A.); (A.V.A.); (A.I.B.)
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physicochemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.G.); (A.L.K.)
| | - Anastasia V. Graf
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physicochemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.G.); (A.L.K.)
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia;
- Faculty of Nano-, Bio-, Informational, Cognitive and Socio-Humanistic Sciences and Technologies at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 123098 Moscow, Russia
| | - Artem V. Artiukhov
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.A.A.); (A.V.A.); (A.I.B.)
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physicochemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.G.); (A.L.K.)
| | - Alexandra I. Boyko
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.A.A.); (A.V.A.); (A.I.B.)
| | - Alexander L. Ksenofontov
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physicochemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.G.); (A.L.K.)
| | - Maria V. Maslova
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Isabel Nogués
- Research Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, National Research Council, Via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy;
| | - Martino L. di Salvo
- Department of Biological Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Victoria I. Bunik
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.A.A.); (A.V.A.); (A.I.B.)
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physicochemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.G.); (A.L.K.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Sechenov University, Trubetskaya, 8, bld. 2, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence:
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Scopolamine prevents aberrant mossy fiber sprouting and facilitates remission of epilepsy after brain injury. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 158:105446. [PMID: 34280524 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prevention or modification of acquired epilepsy in patients at risk is an urgent, yet unmet, clinical need. Following acute brain insults, there is an increased risk of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE), which is often associated with debilitating comorbidities and reduced life expectancy. The latent period between brain injury and the onset of epilepsy may offer a therapeutic window for interfering with epileptogenesis. The pilocarpine model of mTLE is widely used in the search for novel antiepileptogenic treatments. Recent biochemical studies indicated that cholinergic mechanisms play a role in the epileptogenic alterations induced by status epilepticus (SE) in this and other models of mTLE, which prompted us to evaluate whether treatment with the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine during the latent period after SE is capable of preventing or modifying epilepsy and associated behavioral and cognitive alterations in female Sprague-Dawley rats. First, in silico pharmacokinetic modeling was used to select a dosing protocol by which M-receptor inhibitory brain levels of scopolamine are maintained during prolonged treatment. This protocol was verified by drug analysis in vivo. Rats were then treated twice daily with scopolamine over 17 days after SE, followed by drug wash-out and behavioral and video/EEG monitoring up to ~6 months after SE. Compared to vehicle controls, rats that were treated with scopolamine during the latent period exhibited a significantly lower incidence of spontaneous recurrent seizures during periods of intermittent recording in the chronic phase of epilepsy, less behavioral excitability, less cognitive impairment, and significantly reduced aberrant mossy fiber sprouting in the hippocampus. The present data may indicate that scopolamine exerts antiepileptogenic/disease-modifying activity in the lithium-pilocarpine rat model, possibly involving increased remission of epilepsy as a new mechanism of disease-modification. For evaluating the rigor of the present data, we envision a study that more thoroughly addresses the gender bias and video-EEG recording limitations of the present study.
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Augusto E, Gonçalves FQ, Real JE, Silva HB, Pochmann D, Silva TS, Matos M, Gonçalves N, Tomé ÂR, Chen JF, Canas PM, Cunha RA. Increased ATP release and CD73-mediated adenosine A 2A receptor activation mediate convulsion-associated neuronal damage and hippocampal dysfunction. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 157:105441. [PMID: 34224862 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular ATP is a danger signal to the brain and contributes to neurodegeneration in animal models of Alzheimer's disease through its extracellular catabolism by CD73 to generate adenosine, bolstering the activation of adenosine A2A receptors (A2AR). Convulsive activity leads to increased ATP release, with the resulting morphological alterations being eliminated by A2AR blockade. However, it is not known if upon convulsions there is a CD73-mediated coupling between ATP release and A2AR overactivation, causing neurodegeneration. We now show that kainate-induced convulsions trigger a parallel increase of ATP release and of CD73 and A2AR densities in synapses and astrocytes of the mouse hippocampus. Notably, the genetic deletion of CD73 attenuates neuronal degeneration but has no impact on astrocytic modifications in the hippocampus upon kainate-induced convulsions. Furthermore, kainate-induced convulsions cause a parallel deterioration of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and hippocampal-dependent memory performance, which is eliminated by knocking out CD73. This demonstrates the key role of the ATP release/CD73/A2AR pathway to selectively control synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration following an acute brain insult, paving the way to consider CD73 as a new therapeutic target to prevent neuronal damage upon acute brain damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabete Augusto
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | | | - Joana E Real
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Henrique B Silva
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Daniela Pochmann
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Tiago S Silva
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Marco Matos
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Nélio Gonçalves
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ângelo R Tomé
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jiang-Fan Chen
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Molecular Neuropharmacology Lab, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Paula M Canas
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo A Cunha
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal.
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Yuskaitis CJ, Rossitto L, Groff KJ, Dhamne SC, Zhang B, Lalani LK, Singh AK, Rotenberg A, Sahin M. Factors influencing the acute pentylenetetrazole-induced seizure paradigm and a literature review. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2021; 8:1388-1397. [PMID: 34102033 PMCID: PMC8283168 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To confirm the critical factors affecting seizure susceptibility in acute pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) mouse epilepsy models and evaluate the prior literature for these factors. METHODS Serial cohorts of wild-type mice administered intraperitoneal (IP)-PTZ were aggregated and analyzed by multivariate logistic regression for the effect of sex, age, background strain, dose, and physiologic stress (i.e., EEG implantation and/or single-housing) on seizure response. We assessed the reporting of these factors in a comprehensive literature review over the last 10 years (2010-2020). RESULTS We conducted aggregated analysis of pooled data of 307 mice (220 C57BL/6J mice and 87 mixed background mice; 202 males, 105 females) with median age of 10 weeks (range: 6-49 weeks) with acute PTZ injection (dose range 40-65 mg/kg). Significance in multivariate analysis was found between seizures and increased PTZ dose (odds ratio (OR) 1.149, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.102-1.205), older age (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.041-1.170), physiologic stress (OR 17.36, 95% CI 7.349-44.48), and mixed background strain (OR 0.4725, 95% CI 0.2315-0.9345). Literature review identified 97 papers using acute PTZ-seizure models. Age, housing, sex, and background were omitted by 61% (59/97), 51% (49/97), 18% (17/97), and 8% (8/97) papers, respectively. Only 17% of publications specified all four factors (16/97). INTERPRETATION Our analysis and literature review demonstrate a critical gap in standardization of acute PTZ-induced seizure paradigm in mice. We recommend that future studies specify and control for age, background strain, sex, and housing conditions of experimental animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Yuskaitis
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology CenterBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
- Department of NeurologyBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
- Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy Genetics ProgramBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
| | - Leigh‐Ana Rossitto
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology CenterBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
| | - Karenna J. Groff
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology CenterBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
| | - Sameer C. Dhamne
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology CenterBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of NeurologyBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
- Biostatistics and Research Design CenterInstitutional Centers for Clinical and Translational ResearchBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
| | - Lahin K. Lalani
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology CenterBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
- Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience CenterBoston Children’s HospitalBostonMassachusetts02115USA
| | - Achint K. Singh
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology CenterBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
- Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience CenterBoston Children’s HospitalBostonMassachusetts02115USA
| | - Alexander Rotenberg
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology CenterBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
- Department of NeurologyBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
- Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy Genetics ProgramBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
- Neuromodulation ProgramDepartment of NeurologyBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
| | - Mustafa Sahin
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology CenterBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
- Department of NeurologyBoston Children’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
- Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience CenterBoston Children’s HospitalBostonMassachusetts02115USA
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Absence epilepsy in male and female WAG/Rij rats: A longitudinal EEG analysis of seizure expression. Epilepsy Res 2021; 176:106693. [PMID: 34225231 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2021.106693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The WAG/Rij strain of rats is commonly used as a preclinical model of genetic absence epilepsy. While widely utilized, the developmental trajectory of absence seizure expression has been only partially described. Moreover, sex differences in this strain have been under-explored. Here, we longitudinally monitored male and female WAG/Rij rats to quantify cortical spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs) monthly, from 4 to 10 months of age. In both male and female WAG/Rij rats, absence seizure susceptibility increased with age. In contrast to previous reports, we found a robust and consistent increase in absence epilepsy susceptibility in male WAG/Rij rats in comparison to females across months. The increased absence seizure susceptibility was characterized by increased number and duration of SWDs, and consequently increased total SWDs duration. These findings highlight a previously un-recognized sex difference in a model of absence epilepsy and narrow the knowledge gap of age-dependent expression of SWDs in the WAG/Rij strain.
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Hayman DJ, Modebadze T, Charlton S, Cheung K, Soul J, Lin H, Hao Y, Miles CG, Tsompani D, Jackson RM, Briggs MD, Piróg KA, Clark IM, Barter MJ, Clowry GJ, LeBeau FEN, Young DA. Increased hippocampal excitability in miR-324-null mice. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10452. [PMID: 34001919 PMCID: PMC8129095 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89874-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are non-coding RNAs that act to downregulate the expression of target genes by translational repression and degradation of messenger RNA molecules. Individual microRNAs have the ability to specifically target a wide array of gene transcripts, therefore allowing each microRNA to play key roles in multiple biological pathways. miR-324 is a microRNA predicted to target thousands of RNA transcripts and is expressed far more highly in the brain than in any other tissue, suggesting that it may play a role in one or multiple neurological pathways. Here we present data from the first global miR-324-null mice, in which increased excitability and interictal discharges were identified in vitro in the hippocampus. RNA sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes in miR-324-null mice which may contribute to this increased hippocampal excitability, and 3'UTR luciferase assays and western blotting revealed that two of these, Suox and Cd300lf, are novel direct targets of miR-324. Characterisation of microRNAs that produce an effect on neurological activity, such as miR-324, and identification of the pathways they regulate will allow a better understanding of the processes involved in normal neurological function and in turn may present novel pharmaceutical targets in treating neurological disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan J Hayman
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Tamara Modebadze
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Sarah Charlton
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Kat Cheung
- Bioinformatics Support Unit, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Jamie Soul
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Hua Lin
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Yao Hao
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
- Orthopedics Department, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Yingze District, Taiyuan, 030000, China
| | - Colin G Miles
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Dimitra Tsompani
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Robert M Jackson
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Michael D Briggs
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Katarzyna A Piróg
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Ian M Clark
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Matt J Barter
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Gavin J Clowry
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Fiona E N LeBeau
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - David A Young
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK.
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Reddy DS, Thompson W, Calderara G. Molecular mechanisms of sex differences in epilepsy and seizure susceptibility in chemical, genetic and acquired epileptogenesis. Neurosci Lett 2021; 750:135753. [PMID: 33610673 PMCID: PMC7994197 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.135753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This article provides a succinct overview of sex differences in epilepsy and putative molecular mechanisms underlying sex differences in seizure susceptibility in chemical, genetic, and acquired epileptogenesis. The susceptibility to excitability episodes and occurrence of epileptic seizures are generally higher in men than women. The precise molecular mechanisms remain unclear, but differences in regional morphology and neural circuits in men and women may explain differential vulnerability to seizures and epileptogenic cascades. Changes in seizure sensitivity can be attributed to steroid hormones, including fluctuations in neurosteroids as well as neuroplasticity in their receptor signaling systems. Other potential neurobiological bases for sex differences in epilepsies include differences in brain development, neurogenesis, neuronal chloride homeostasis, and neurotrophic and glial responses. In catamenial epilepsy, a gender-specific neuroendocrine condition, epileptic seizures are most often clustered around a specific menstrual period in adult women. A deeper understanding of the molecular and neural network basis of sex differences in seizures and response to antiepileptic drugs is highly warranted for designing effective, sex-specific therapies for epilepsy, epileptogenesis, and seizure disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doodipala Samba Reddy
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, Bryan, TX, United States.
| | - Wesley Thompson
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Gianmarco Calderara
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, Bryan, TX, United States
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Synaptic Reshaping and Neuronal Outcomes in the Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22083860. [PMID: 33917911 PMCID: PMC8068229 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is one of the most common types of focal epilepsy, characterized by recurrent spontaneous seizures originating in the temporal lobe(s), with mesial TLE (mTLE) as the worst form of TLE, often associated with hippocampal sclerosis. Abnormal epileptiform discharges are the result, among others, of altered cell-to-cell communication in both chemical and electrical transmissions. Current knowledge about the neurobiology of TLE in human patients emerges from pathological studies of biopsy specimens isolated from the epileptogenic zone or, in a few more recent investigations, from living subjects using positron emission tomography (PET). To overcome limitations related to the use of human tissue, animal models are of great help as they allow the selection of homogeneous samples still presenting a more various scenario of the epileptic syndrome, the presence of a comparable control group, and the availability of a greater amount of tissue for in vitro/ex vivo investigations. This review provides an overview of the structural and functional alterations of synaptic connections in the brain of TLE/mTLE patients and animal models.
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Serotonin Pretreatment Abolishes Sex-specific NMDA-induced Seizure Behavior in Developing Rats. Neuroscience 2021; 463:184-196. [PMID: 33838289 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal excitability and susceptibility to excitotoxic damage can be sex-specific, with neurons from males usually being more 'easily excitable' compared to neurons from females, especially during development. Increased excitability at an individual neuronal level can lead to the formation of hyperexcitable neuronal networks, which, consequently can make the brain more seizure prone. Both animal and clinical data suggest that males experience more frequent and severe seizures than do females. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) can mediate neuronal excitability and seizure behavior, often serving as an anticonvulsant. Importantly, 5-HT signaling during parts of the perinatal period is sexually dimorphic. Sex differences during development have been reported in both serotonin levels and receptor type (excitatory vs. inhibitory) expression in a manner that may leave the male brain more vulnerable to over-excitation. Thus, we aimed to determine if the anticonvulsant effects of 5-HT were sex- and/or age-dependent in juvenile animals. We report a baseline sex difference in N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-induced seizure behavior and hippocampal neuronal loss, with postnatal day (PND) 14 males exhibiting more severe seizure behavior compared to females. Pretreatment with the general 5-HT receptor agonist 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MT) abolishes baseline sex differences, providing an anticonvulsant effect for males only. These sex differences appear to be at least in part organized by testosterone, as females given neonatal androgen exhibit a seizure behavior profile in between that of males and females.
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Chen X, Liu K, Lin Z, Huang K, Pan S. Knockout of Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 4 Channel Mitigates Cerebral Edema and Neuronal Injury After Status Epilepticus in Mice. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2021; 79:1354-1364. [PMID: 33186453 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlaa134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate whether the knockout of transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (TRPM4) could reduce cerebral edema and improve neurologic outcome in a mouse model of status epilepticus (SE). Wild-type (WT) (n = 61) and Trpm4-/- mice (n = 61) with behavioral seizures induced by lithium (10 mEq/kg) and pilocarpine (30-40 mg/kg) were terminated 2.5 hours after the onset of SE. After SE, 28 WT-SE and 27 Trpm4-/--SE mice were observed for 28 days and assessed for survival and cognitive function; the others were killed after 24 hours, 72 hours, or 7 days, and evaluated for cerebral edema and histological injury. In comparison to WT-SE mice, the mortality and cognitive deficit for Trpm4-/--SE mice following SE after 28 days were significantly ameliorated. Trpm4-/--SE mice also showed less water content and cerebral edema assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, and decreased blood-brain barrier breakdown after SE. Moreover, Trpm4 deficiency significantly mitigated neuronal loss, cellular necrosis and apoptosis in the hippocampus and piriform cortex and mitigated astrocytosis and microgliosis. In conclusion, this study suggests that Trmp4 may represent a new target for improving outcomes after SE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Chen
- From the Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kewei Liu
- From the Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenzhou Lin
- From the Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kaibin Huang
- From the Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Suyue Pan
- From the Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Wang Z, Huang K, Yang X, Shen K, Yang L, Ruan R, Shi X, Wang M, Zhu G, Yang M, Zhang C, Lv S, Yang H, Fan X, Liu S. Downregulated GPR30 expression in the epileptogenic foci of female patients with focal cortical dysplasia type IIb and tuberous sclerosis complex is correlated with 18 F-FDG PET-CT values. Brain Pathol 2021; 31:346-364. [PMID: 33314369 PMCID: PMC8018162 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Focal cortical dysplasia type IIb (FCDIIb) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are typical causes of developmental delay and refractory epilepsy. G‐protein‐coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) is a specific estrogen receptor that is critical in neurodevelopment, neuroinflammation, and neuronal excitability, suggesting that it plays a potential role in the epilepsy of patients with FCDIIb and TSC. Therefore, we investigated the role of GPR30 in patients with FCDIIb and TSC. We found that the expression of GPR30 and its downstream protein kinase A (PKA) pathway were decreased and negatively correlated with seizure frequency in female patients with FCDIIb and TSC, but not in male patients. GPR30 was widely distributed in neurons, astrocytes, and microglia, and its downregulation was especially notable in microglia. The GPR30 agonist G‐1 increased the expression of PKA and p‐PKA in cultured cortical neurons, and the GPR30 antagonist G‐15 exhibited the opposite effects of G‐1. The NF‐κB signaling pathway was also activated in the specimens of female patients with FCDIIb and TSC, and was regulated by G‐1 and G‐15 in cultured cortical neurons. We also found that GPR30 regulated cortical neuronal excitability by altering the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents and the expression of NR2A/B. Further, the relationship between GPR30 and glycometabolism was evaluated by analyzing the correlations between GPR30 and 18F‐FDG PET‐CT values (standardized uptake values, SUVs). Positive correlations between GPR30 and SUVs were found in female patients, but not in male patients. Intriguingly, GPR30 expression and SUVs were significantly decreased in the epileptogenic tubers of female TSC patients, and ROC curves indicated that SUVs could predict the localization of epileptogenic tubers. Taken together, our results suggest a potential protective effect of GPR30 in the epileptogenesis of female patients with FCDIIb and TSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongke Wang
- Epilepsy Research Center of PLA, Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Kaixuan Huang
- Epilepsy Research Center of PLA, Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaolin Yang
- Epilepsy Research Center of PLA, Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Kaifeng Shen
- Epilepsy Research Center of PLA, Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Ling Yang
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Ruotong Ruan
- Department of Basic Medical College, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Xianjun Shi
- Epilepsy Research Center of PLA, Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Miao Wang
- Epilepsy Research Center of PLA, Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Gang Zhu
- Epilepsy Research Center of PLA, Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Meihua Yang
- Epilepsy Research Center of PLA, Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Chunqing Zhang
- Epilepsy Research Center of PLA, Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Shengqing Lv
- Epilepsy Research Center of PLA, Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Epilepsy Research Center of PLA, Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaotang Fan
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Shiyong Liu
- Epilepsy Research Center of PLA, Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
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Christian CA, Reddy DS, Maguire J, Forcelli PA. Sex Differences in the Epilepsies and Associated Comorbidities: Implications for Use and Development of Pharmacotherapies. Pharmacol Rev 2021; 72:767-800. [PMID: 32817274 DOI: 10.1124/pr.119.017392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The epilepsies are common neurologic disorders characterized by spontaneous recurrent seizures. Boys, girls, men, and women of all ages are affected by epilepsy and, in many cases, by associated comorbidities as well. The primary courses of treatment are pharmacological, dietary, and/or surgical, depending on several factors, including the areas of the brain affected and the severity of the epilepsy. There is a growing appreciation that sex differences in underlying brain function and in the neurobiology of epilepsy are important factors that should be accounted for in the design and development of new therapies. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on sex differences in epilepsy and associated comorbidities, with emphasis on those aspects most informative for the development of new pharmacotherapies. Particular focus is placed on sex differences in the prevalence and presentation of various focal and generalized epilepsies; psychiatric, cognitive, and physiologic comorbidities; catamenial epilepsy in women; sex differences in brain development; the neural actions of sex and stress hormones and their metabolites; and cellular mechanisms, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling and neuronal-glial interactions. Further attention placed on potential sex differences in epilepsies, comorbidities, and drug effects will enhance therapeutic options and efficacy for all patients with epilepsy. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that often presents together with various comorbidities. The features of epilepsy and seizure activity as well as comorbid afflictions can vary between men and women. In this review, we discuss sex differences in types of epilepsies, associated comorbidities, pathophysiological mechanisms, and antiepileptic drug efficacy in both clinical patient populations and preclinical animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Christian
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Program, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois (C.A.C.); Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas (D.S.R.); Neuroscience Department, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts (J.M.); and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology and Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. (P.A.F.)
| | - Doodipala Samba Reddy
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Program, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois (C.A.C.); Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas (D.S.R.); Neuroscience Department, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts (J.M.); and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology and Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. (P.A.F.)
| | - Jamie Maguire
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Program, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois (C.A.C.); Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas (D.S.R.); Neuroscience Department, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts (J.M.); and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology and Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. (P.A.F.)
| | - Patrick A Forcelli
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Program, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois (C.A.C.); Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas (D.S.R.); Neuroscience Department, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts (J.M.); and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology and Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. (P.A.F.)
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Acute and chronic treatment with moclobemide, a reversible MAO-inhibitor, potentiates the antielectroshock activity of conventional antiepileptic drugs in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 201:173110. [PMID: 33444604 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to enhancing serotonergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission, moclobemide may influence seizure phenomena. In this study, we examined the effect of both acute and chronic treatment with moclobemide on seizures and the action of first-generation antiepileptic drugs: valproate, carbamazepine, phenobarbital and phenytoin. METHODS The effect of moclobemide on seizures was assessed in the electroconvulsive threshold test, while its influence on antiepileptic drugs was estimated in the maximal electroshock test in mice. Undesired effects were evaluated in the chimney test (motor impairment) and step-through passive-avoidance task (long-term memory deficits). Finally, brain concentrations of antiepileptics were determined by fluorescence polarization immunoassay. RESULTS Given acutely, moclobemide at 62.5 and 75 mg/kg increased the electroconvulsive threshold. In contrast, chronic treatment with moclobemide up to 75 mg/kg did not influence this parameter. Acute moclobemide applied at subthreshold doses (up to 50 mg/kg) enhanced the antielectroshock effects of carbamazepine, valproate and phenobarbital. Chronic moclobemide (37.5-75 mg/kg) increased the action of all four antiepileptic drugs. All revealed interactions, except these between moclobemide and phenobarbital, seem to have pharmacokinetic nature, because the antidepressant drug, either in acute or in chronic treatment, increased the brain concentrations of respective antiepileptic drugs. In terms of undesired neurotoxic effects, acute and chronic moclobemide, antiepileptic drugs, and their combinations did not produce significant motor or long-term memory impairment. CONCLUSIONS Acute and chronic therapy with moclobemide can increase the effectiveness of some antiepileptic drugs against the maximal electroshock test. In mice, this effect was, at least partially, due to pharmacokinetic interactions. So far as the results of experimental studies can be transferred to clinical conditions, moclobemide seems safe for the application in patients with epilepsy and depression. Possibly, in the case of certain antiepileptic drugs combined with moclobemide, their doses should be adjusted downwards.
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Grubač Ž, Šutulović N, Jerotić D, Šuvakov S, Rašić-Marković A, Macut D, Simić T, Stanojlović O, Hrnčić D. Experimental chronic sleep fragmentation alters seizure susceptibility and brain levels of interleukins 1β and 6. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 2021; 81:96-109. [PMID: 33949166 DOI: 10.21307/ane-2021-010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Brain hyperexcitability in sleep apnea is believed to be provoked by hypoxemia, but sleep fragmentation can also play a significant role. Sleep fragmentation can trigger inflammatory mechanisms. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of chronic sleep fragmentation on seizure susceptibility and brain cytokine profile. Chronic sleep fragmentation in male rats with implanted EEG electrodes was achieved by the treadmill method. Rats were randomized to: treadmill control (TC); activity control (AC) and sleep fragmentation (SF) group. Convulsive behavior was assessed 14 days later by seizure incidence, latency time and seizure severity during 30 min following lindane administration. The number and duration of EEG ictal periods were determined. Levels of IL-1β and IL-6 were measured in the animals' serum and brain structures (hippocampus, thalamus and cerebral cortex), in separate rat cohort that underwent the same fragmentation protocol except lindane administration. Incidence and severity of seizures were significantly increased, while latency was significantly decreased in SF+L compared with TC+L group. Seizure latency was also significantly decreased in SF+L compared to AC+L group. The number and duration of ictal periods were increased in the SF+L compared to the AC+L group. IL-1β was significantly increased in the thalamus, cortex and hippocampus in the SF compared to the AC and TC groups. IL-6 was statistically higher only in the cortex of SF animals, while in the thalamic or hippocampal tissue, no difference was observed between the groups. It could be concluded that fourteen-day sleep fragmentation increases seizure susceptibility in rats and modulates brain production of IL-1β and IL-6. Brain hyperexcitability in sleep apnea is believed to be provoked by hypoxemia, but sleep fragmentation can also play a significant role. Sleep fragmentation can trigger inflammatory mechanisms. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of chronic sleep fragmentation on seizure susceptibility and brain cytokine profile. Chronic sleep fragmentation in male rats with implanted EEG electrodes was achieved by the treadmill method. Rats were randomized to: treadmill control (TC); activity control (AC) and sleep fragmentation (SF) group. Convulsive behavior was assessed 14 days later by seizure incidence, latency time and seizure severity during 30 min following lindane administration. The number and duration of EEG ictal periods were determined. Levels of IL-1β and IL-6 were measured in the animals’ serum and brain structures (hippocampus, thalamus and cerebral cortex), in separate rat cohort that underwent the same fragmentation protocol except lindane administration. Incidence and severity of seizures were significantly increased, while latency was significantly decreased in SF+L compared with TC+L group. Seizure latency was also significantly decreased in SF+L compared to AC+L group. The number and duration of ictal periods were increased in the SF+L compared to the AC+L group. IL-1β was significantly increased in the thalamus, cortex and hippocampus in the SF compared to the AC and TC groups. IL-6 was statistically higher only in the cortex of SF animals, while in the thalamic or hippocampal tissue, no difference was observed between the groups. It could be concluded that fourteen-day sleep fragmentation increases seizure susceptibility in rats and modulates brain production of IL-1β and IL-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Željko Grubač
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology , Institute of Medical Physiology "Richard Burian" , Belgrade University Faculty of Medicine , Belgrade , Serbia
| | - Nikola Šutulović
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology , Institute of Medical Physiology "Richard Burian" , Belgrade University Faculty of Medicine , Belgrade , Serbia
| | - Djudja Jerotić
- Institute of Clinical and Medical Biochemistry , Belgrade University Faculty of Medicine , Belgrade , Serbia
| | - Sonja Šuvakov
- Institute of Clinical and Medical Biochemistry , Belgrade University Faculty of Medicine , Belgrade , Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Rašić-Marković
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology , Institute of Medical Physiology "Richard Burian" , Belgrade University Faculty of Medicine , Belgrade , Serbia
| | - Djuro Macut
- Clinic of Endocrinology , Diabetes and Metabolic Disease , CCS, Belgrade University Faculty of Medicine , Belgrade , Serbia
| | - Tatjana Simić
- Institute of Clinical and Medical Biochemistry , Belgrade University Faculty of Medicine , Belgrade , Serbia
| | - Olivera Stanojlović
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology , Institute of Medical Physiology "Richard Burian" , Belgrade University Faculty of Medicine , Belgrade , Serbia
| | - Dragan Hrnčić
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology , Institute of Medical Physiology "Richard Burian" , Belgrade University Faculty of Medicine , Belgrade , Serbia
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Tweedy C, Kindred N, Curry J, Williams C, Taylor JP, Atkinson P, Randall F, Erskine D, Morris CM, Reeve AK, Clowry GJ, LeBeau FEN. Hippocampal network hyperexcitability in young transgenic mice expressing human mutant alpha-synuclein. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 149:105226. [PMID: 33347975 PMCID: PMC7859835 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal excitability in cortical networks has been reported in patients and animal models of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and other neurodegenerative conditions. Whether hyperexcitability is a core feature of alpha(α)-synucleinopathies, including dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is unclear. To assess this, we used two murine models of DLB that express either human mutant α-synuclein (α-syn) the hA30P, or human wild-type α-syn (hWT-α-syn) mice. We observed network hyperexcitability in vitro in young (2–5 months), pre-symptomatic transgenic α-syn mice. Interictal discharges (IIDs) were seen in the extracellular local field potential (LFP) in the hippocampus in hA30P and hWT-α-syn mice following kainate application, while only gamma frequency oscillations occurred in control mice. In addition, the concentration of the GABAA receptor antagonist (gabazine) needed to evoke IIDs was lower in slices from hA30P mice compared to control mice. hA30P mice also showed increased locomotor activity in the open field test compared to control mice. Intracellular recordings from CA3 pyramidal cells showed a more depolarised resting membrane potential in hA30P mice. Quadruple immunohistochemistry for human α-syn, and the mitochondrial markers, porin and the complex IV enzyme cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) in parvalbumin (PV+)-expressing interneurons showed that 25% of PV+ cells contained human α-syn in hA30P mice. While there was no change in PV expression, COX1 expression was significantly increased in PV+ cells in hA30P mice, perhaps reflecting a compensatory change to support PV+ interneuron activity. Our findings suggest that hippocampal network hyperexcitability may be an important early consequence of α-syn-mediated impairment of neuronal/synaptic function, which occurs without any overt loss of PV interneurons. The therapeutic benefit of targeting network excitability early in the disease stage should be explored with respect to α-synucleinopathies such as DLB. Young transgenic α-syn mice exhibit network hyperexcitability in the hippocampus in vitro. Young transgenic α-syn mice have increased locomotor activity in an open field test. Hippocampal pyramidal cells are more depolarised in young transgenic α-syn mice. Increased mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV) function in PV+ interneurons in young transgenic a-syn mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Tweedy
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Nathan Kindred
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Joshua Curry
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Christopher Williams
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - John-Paul Taylor
- Institute of Clinical and Translational Research, Newcastle University, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Peter Atkinson
- Eisai Hatfield Research Laboratories, Eisai Ltd., European Knowledge Centre, Mosquito Way, Hatfield, Herts AL10 9SN, UK
| | - Fiona Randall
- Previously Eisai AiM Institute, Eisai Inc., 4 Corporate Drive, Andover, MA 01810, USA
| | - Daniel Erskine
- Institute of Clinical and Translational Research, Newcastle University, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Christopheer M Morris
- Institute of Clinical and Translational Research, Newcastle University, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Amy K Reeve
- Institute of Clinical and Translational Research, Newcastle University, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Gavin J Clowry
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Fiona E N LeBeau
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
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49
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Botterill JJ, Lu YL, LaFrancois JJ, Bernstein HL, Alcantara-Gonzalez D, Jain S, Leary P, Scharfman HE. An Excitatory and Epileptogenic Effect of Dentate Gyrus Mossy Cells in a Mouse Model of Epilepsy. Cell Rep 2020; 29:2875-2889.e6. [PMID: 31775052 PMCID: PMC6905501 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.10.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The sparse activity of hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) granule cells (GCs) is thought to be critical for cognition and behavior, whereas excessive DG activity may contribute to disorders such as temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Glutamatergic mossy cells (MCs) of the DG are potentially critical to normal and pathological functions of the DG because they can regulate GC activity through innervation of GCs or indirectly through GABAergic neurons. Here, we test the hypothesis that MC excitation of GCs is normally weak, but under pathological conditions, MC excitation of GCs is dramatically strengthened. We show that selectively inhibiting MCs during severe seizures reduced manifestations of those seizures, hippocampal injury, and chronic epilepsy. In contrast, selectively activating MCs was pro-convulsant. Mechanistic in vitro studies using optogenetics further demonstrated the unanticipated ability of MC axons to excite GCs under pathological conditions. These results demonstrate an excitatory and epileptogenic effect of MCs in the DG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J Botterill
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Yi-Ling Lu
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - John J LaFrancois
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Hannah L Bernstein
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - David Alcantara-Gonzalez
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Swati Jain
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Paige Leary
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Helen E Scharfman
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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50
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Cho SJ, Park E, Baker A, Reid AY. Age Bias in Zebrafish Models of Epilepsy: What Can We Learn From Old Fish? Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:573303. [PMID: 33015065 PMCID: PMC7511771 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.573303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish are a powerful tool for investigating epilepsy. Mammalian seizures can be recapitulated molecularly, behaviorally, and electrophysiologically, using a fraction of the resources required for experiments in mammals. Larval zebrafish offer exceptionally economical and high-throughput approaches and are amenable to state-of-the-art genetic engineering techniques, providing valuable transgenic models of human diseases. For these reasons, larvae tend to be chosen for studying epilepsy, but the value of adult zebrafish may be underappreciated. Zebrafish exhibit transient larval - adult duality. The incompletely developed neural system of larval zebrafish may limit the translation of complex neurological disorders. Larval zebrafish go through dynamic changes during ontogenesis, whereas adult zebrafish are physiologically more stable. Adult zebrafish have a full range of complex brain structures and functions, such as an endothelial blood-brain barrier and adult neurogenesis, both are significant factors in epilepsy research. This review highlights the differences between larval and adult zebrafish that should be considered in pathophysiological and pharmacological studies of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Joon Cho
- Division of Fundamental Neurobiology, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Collaborative Program in Neuroscience, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Keenan Research Center, St. Michael’s Hospital, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Eugene Park
- Keenan Research Center, St. Michael’s Hospital, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew Baker
- Keenan Research Center, St. Michael’s Hospital, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Anesthesia and Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aylin Y. Reid
- Division of Fundamental Neurobiology, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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