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Lindquist BE, Timbie C, Voskobiynyk Y, Paz JT. Thalamocortical circuits in generalized epilepsy: Pathophysiologic mechanisms and therapeutic targets. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 181:106094. [PMID: 36990364 PMCID: PMC10192143 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Generalized epilepsy affects 24 million people globally; at least 25% of cases remain medically refractory. The thalamus, with widespread connections throughout the brain, plays a critical role in generalized epilepsy. The intrinsic properties of thalamic neurons and the synaptic connections between populations of neurons in the nucleus reticularis thalami and thalamocortical relay nuclei help generate different firing patterns that influence brain states. In particular, transitions from tonic firing to highly synchronized burst firing mode in thalamic neurons can cause seizures that rapidly generalize and cause altered awareness and unconsciousness. Here, we review the most recent advances in our understanding of how thalamic activity is regulated and discuss the gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms of generalized epilepsy syndromes. Elucidating the role of the thalamus in generalized epilepsy syndromes may lead to new opportunities to better treat pharmaco-resistant generalized epilepsy by thalamic modulation and dietary therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britta E Lindquist
- UCSF Department of Neurology, Division of Neurocritical Care, United States of America; UCSF Department of Neurology, Division of Pediatric Epilepsy, United States of America; UCSF Department of Neurology, United States of America
| | - Clare Timbie
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, United States of America; UCSF Department of Neurology, Division of Pediatric Epilepsy, United States of America; UCSF Department of Neurology, United States of America
| | - Yuliya Voskobiynyk
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, United States of America; UCSF Department of Neurology, United States of America
| | - Jeanne T Paz
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, United States of America; UCSF Department of Neurology, United States of America; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, UCSF, United States of America.
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Wilson CS, Dohare P, Orbeta S, Nalwalk JW, Huang Y, Ferland RJ, Sah R, Scimemi A, Mongin AA. Late adolescence mortality in mice with brain-specific deletion of the volume-regulated anion channel subunit LRRC8A. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21869. [PMID: 34469026 PMCID: PMC8639177 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202002745r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The leucine-rich repeat-containing family 8 member A (LRRC8A) is an essential subunit of the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC). VRAC is critical for cell volume control, but its broader physiological functions remain under investigation. Recent studies in the field indicate that Lrrc8a disruption in the brain astrocytes reduces neuronal excitability, impairs synaptic plasticity and memory, and protects against cerebral ischemia. In the present work, we generated brain-wide conditional LRRC8A knockout mice (LRRC8A bKO) using NestinCre -driven Lrrc8aflox/flox excision in neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendroglia. LRRC8A bKO animals were born close to the expected Mendelian ratio and developed without overt histological abnormalities, but, surprisingly, all died between 5 and 9 weeks of age with a seizure phenotype, which was confirmed by video and EEG recordings. Brain slice electrophysiology detected changes in the excitability of pyramidal cells and modified GABAergic inputs in the hippocampal CA1 region of LRRC8A bKO. LRRC8A-null hippocampi showed increased immunoreactivity of the astrocytic marker GFAP, indicating reactive astrogliosis. We also found decreased whole-brain protein levels of the GABA transporter GAT-1, the glutamate transporter GLT-1, and the astrocytic enzyme glutamine synthetase. Complementary HPLC assays identified reduction in the tissue levels of the glutamate and GABA precursor glutamine. Together, these findings suggest that VRAC provides vital control of brain excitability in mouse adolescence. VRAC deletion leads to a lethal phenotype involving progressive astrogliosis and dysregulation of astrocytic uptake and supply of amino acid neurotransmitters and their precursors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne S Wilson
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Preeti Dohare
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Shaina Orbeta
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Julia W Nalwalk
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Yunfei Huang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Russell J Ferland
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Biddeford, Maine, USA
| | - Rajan Sah
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Annalisa Scimemi
- Department of Biology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Alexander A Mongin
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
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Ghirardini E, Wadle SL, Augustin V, Becker J, Brill S, Hammerich J, Seifert G, Stephan J. Expression of functional inhibitory neurotransmitter transporters GlyT1, GAT-1, and GAT-3 by astrocytes of inferior colliculus and hippocampus. Mol Brain 2018; 11:4. [PMID: 29370841 PMCID: PMC5785846 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-018-0346-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal inhibition is mediated by glycine and/or GABA. Inferior colliculus (IC) neurons receive glycinergic and GABAergic inputs, whereas inhibition in hippocampus (HC) predominantly relies on GABA. Astrocytes heterogeneously express neurotransmitter transporters and are expected to adapt to the local requirements regarding neurotransmitter homeostasis. Here we analyzed the expression of inhibitory neurotransmitter transporters in IC and HC astrocytes using whole-cell patch-clamp and single-cell reverse transcription-PCR. We show that most astrocytes in both regions expressed functional glycine transporters (GlyTs). Activation of these transporters resulted in an inward current (IGly) that was sensitive to the competitive GlyT1 agonist sarcosine. Astrocytes exhibited transcripts for GlyT1 but not for GlyT2. Glycine did not alter the membrane resistance (RM) arguing for the absence of functional glycine receptors (GlyRs). Thus, IGly was mainly mediated by GlyT1. Similarly, we found expression of functional GABA transporters (GATs) in all IC astrocytes and about half of the HC astrocytes. These transporters mediated an inward current (IGABA) that was sensitive to the competitive GAT-1 and GAT-3 antagonists NO711 and SNAP5114, respectively. Accordingly, transcripts for GAT-1 and GAT-3 were found but not for GAT-2 and BGT-1. Only in hippocampal astrocytes, GABA transiently reduced RM demonstrating the presence of GABAA receptors (GABAARs). However, IGABA was mainly not contaminated by GABAAR-mediated currents as RM changes vanished shortly after GABA application. In both regions, IGABA was stronger than IGly. Furthermore, in HC the IGABA/IGly ratio was larger compared to IC. Taken together, our results demonstrate that astrocytes are heterogeneous across and within distinct brain areas. Furthermore, we could show that the capacity for glycine and GABA uptake varies between both brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Ghirardini
- Animal Physiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin Schroedinger-Strasse 13, D-67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany.,Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, via Vanvitelli 32, I-20129, Milan, Italy.,Pharmacology and Brain Pathology Lab, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, via Manzoni 56, I-20089, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Simon L Wadle
- Animal Physiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin Schroedinger-Strasse 13, D-67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Vanessa Augustin
- Animal Physiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin Schroedinger-Strasse 13, D-67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Jasmin Becker
- Animal Physiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin Schroedinger-Strasse 13, D-67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Sina Brill
- Animal Physiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin Schroedinger-Strasse 13, D-67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Julia Hammerich
- Animal Physiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin Schroedinger-Strasse 13, D-67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Gerald Seifert
- Institute of Cellular Neurosciences, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, D-53105, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jonathan Stephan
- Animal Physiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin Schroedinger-Strasse 13, D-67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
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Glial GABA Transporters as Modulators of Inhibitory Signalling in Epilepsy and Stroke. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2017; 16:137-167. [PMID: 28828609 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-55769-4_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Imbalances in GABA-mediated tonic inhibition are involved in several pathophysiological conditions. A classical way of controlling tonic inhibition is through pharmacological intervention with extrasynaptic GABAA receptors that sense ambient GABA and mediate a persistent GABAergic conductance. An increase in tonic inhibition may, however, also be obtained indirectly by inhibiting glial GABA transporters (GATs). These are sodium-coupled membrane transport proteins that normally act to terminate GABA neurotransmitter action by taking up GABA into surrounding astrocytes. The aim of the review is to provide an overview of glial GATs in regulating tonic inhibition, especially in epilepsy and stroke. This entails a comprehensive summary of changes known to occur in GAT expression levels and signalling following epileptic and ischemic insults. Further, we discuss the accumulating pharmacological evidence for targeting GATs in these diseases.
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Farrell JS, Wolff MD, Teskey GC. Neurodegeneration and Pathology in Epilepsy: Clinical and Basic Perspectives. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2017; 15:317-334. [PMID: 28674987 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-57193-5_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Epilepsy is commonly associated with a number of neurodegenerative and pathological alterations in those areas of the brain that are involved in repeated electrographic seizures. These most prominently include neuron loss and an increase in astrocyte number and size but may also include enhanced blood-brain barrier permeability, the formation of new capillaries, axonal sprouting, and central inflammation. In animal models in which seizures are either repeatedly elicited or are self-generated, a similar set of neurodegenerative and pathological alterations in brain anatomy are observed. The primary causal agent responsible for these alterations may be the cascade of events that follow a seizure and lead to an hypoperfusion/hypoxic episode. While epilepsy has long and correctly been considered an electrical disorder, the vascular system likely plays an important causal role in the neurodegeneration and pathology that occur as a consequence of repeated seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan S Farrell
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Marshal D Wolff
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - G Campbell Teskey
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
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DiNuzzo M, Mangia S, Maraviglia B, Giove F. Physiological bases of the K+ and the glutamate/GABA hypotheses of epilepsy. Epilepsy Res 2014; 108:995-1012. [PMID: 24818957 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2014.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Revised: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a heterogeneous family of neurological disorders that manifest as seizures, i.e. the hypersynchronous activity of large population of neurons. About 30% of epileptic patients do not respond to currently available antiepileptic drugs. Decades of intense research have elucidated the involvement of a number of possible signaling pathways, however, at present we do not have a fundamental understanding of epileptogenesis. In this paper, we review the literature on epilepsy under a wide-angle perspective, a mandatory choice that responds to the recurrent and unanswered question about what is epiphenomenal and what is causal to the disease. While focusing on the involvement of K+ and glutamate/GABA in determining neuronal hyperexcitability, emphasis is given to astrocytic contribution to epileptogenesis, and especially to loss-of-function of astrocytic glutamine synthetase following reactive astrogliosis, a hallmark of epileptic syndromes. We finally introduce the potential involvement of abnormal glycogen synthesis induced by excess glutamate in increasing susceptibility to seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro DiNuzzo
- MARBILab, Museo storico della fisica e Centro di studi e ricerche "Enrico Fermi", Rome, Italy.
| | - Silvia Mangia
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Bruno Maraviglia
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Giove
- MARBILab, Museo storico della fisica e Centro di studi e ricerche "Enrico Fermi", Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
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7
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Higuera-Matas A, Miguéns M, Coria SM, Assis MA, Borcel E, del Olmo N, Ambrosio E. Sex-specific disturbances of the glutamate/GABA balance in the hippocampus of adult rats subjected to adolescent cannabinoid exposure. Neuropharmacology 2012; 62:1975-84. [PMID: 22245681 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2011] [Revised: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 12/23/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of active synaptic remodelling and plasticity and as such, a developmental phase of particular vulnerability to the effects of environmental insults. The endogenous cannabinoid system regulates central nervous system development and cannabinoid exposure during adolescence has been linked to several alterations to hippocampal-dependent processes such as cognition and emotion, which rely on intact glutamatergic and GABAergic systems. Here we show that K(+)-induced γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) release increases in the CA1 hippocampal field of Wistar rats of both sexes that were treated chronically with the cannabinoid agonist CP 55,940 (CP55940) during adolescence. GABA(B) receptors levels also increased in cannabinoid-exposed rats. In addition, CP55940-treated females exhibit reduced GABA transporter gene expression (GAT-1), increased GABA(A) receptor expression, as well as decreased K(+)-induced glutamate release and NMDA receptor levels. CP55940 administration did not affect the glial (EAAT2) or neuronal (EAAT3) glutamate transporter gene expression in either males or females, and nor were any changes in the mGlu5 receptor protein levels observed. Taken together, these results show that while the exacerbated GABA release induced by early cannabinoid exposure may be compensated by an increment in GABA(B) receptors, which normally function as inhibitory autoreceptors, adolescent cannabinoid exposure in the females disturbs the normal balance between glutamate and GABA transmission. These observations may provide important insight into the neuronal basis of the well-documented alterations in cognitive and emotional processes induced by adolescent cannabinoid exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal no 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Mao X, Guo F, Yu J, Min D, Wang Z, Xie N, Chen T, Shaw C, Cai J. Up-regulation of GABA transporters and GABA(A) receptor α1 subunit in tremor rat hippocampus. Neurosci Lett 2010; 486:150-5. [PMID: 20851161 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2010] [Revised: 09/01/2010] [Accepted: 09/11/2010] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The loss of GABAergic neurotransmission has been closely linked with epileptogenesis. The modulation of the synaptic activity occurs both via the removal of GABA from the synaptic cleft and by GABA transporters (GATs) and by modulation of GABA receptors. The tremor rat (TRM; tm/tm) is the parent strain of the spontaneously epileptic rat (SER; zi/zi, tm/tm), which exhibits absence-like seizure after 8 weeks of age. However, there are no reports that can elucidate the effects of GATs and GABA(A) receptors (GABARs) on TRMs. The present study was conducted to detect GATs and GABAR α1 subunit in TRMs hippocampus at mRNA and protein levels. In this study, total synaptosomal GABA content was significantly decreased in TRMs hippocampus compared with control Wistar rats by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); mRNA and protein expressions of GAT-1, GAT-3 and GABAR α1 subunit were all significantly increased in TRMs hippocampus by real time PCR and Western blot, respectively; GAT-1 and GABAR α1 subunit proteins were localized widely in TRMs and control rats hippocampus including CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG) regions whereas only a wide distribution of GAT-3 was observed in CA1 region by immunohistochemistry. These data demonstrate that excessive expressions of GAT-1 as well as GAT-3 and GABAR α1 subunit in TRMs hippocampus may provide the potential therapeutic targets for genetic epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyuan Mao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
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The expression of astroglial glutamate transporters in patients with focal cortical dysplasia: an immunohistochemical study. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2010; 152:845-53. [PMID: 19859653 DOI: 10.1007/s00701-009-0548-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2009] [Accepted: 10/12/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE An abnormal increase in the extracellular glutamate is thought to play a crucial role in the initiation, spread, and maintenance of seizure activity.In normal conditions, the majority of this excess glutamate is cleared via glial glutamate transporters (EAAT-1 and EAAT-2). We aimed to examine the immunohistochemical expression of these transporters in the dysplastic tissues of patients with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). METHODS The parafin-embedded dysplastic tissues of 33 patients who were operated on due to medically intractable epilepsy and histopathologically diagnosed with FCD between 2001 and 2006 were stained immunohistochemically with appropriate antibodies, and the distribution and intensity of immunoreactivity (IR) of EAAT-1 and EAAT-2 were examined.The findings were compared with the histologically normal tissues of five patients who underwent temporal lobectomy for epilepsy surgery and 10 fresh postmortem cases. RESULTS In the majority of the patients, the EAAT-1 and EAAT-2 IR were decreased, their astrocytic expression were lower, and the pattern of distribution were more diffused when compared to the control groups.Analyzing these findings according to the types of FCD revealed that as the severity of the dysplasia increased, the IR and astrocytic expression of both transporters are decreased and their distribution tend to be more "diffused." CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest a relationship between the decreased glutamate transporter expressions in dysplastic tissues which,in turn, may cause increased extracellular concentrations of glutamate and FCD pathophysiology.Further studies with larger patient populations,investigating the expression of glutamate transporters at mRNA and protein levels, are required to clarify their roles in the pathophysiology of FCD.
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Modulation of astrocyte glutamate transporters decreases seizures in a mouse model of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Neurobiol Dis 2010; 37:764-71. [PMID: 20045054 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2009.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2009] [Revised: 12/13/2009] [Accepted: 12/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocyte dysfunction may contribute to epileptogenesis and other neurological deficits in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). In particular, decreased expression and function of astrocyte glutamate transporters have been implicated in causing elevated extracellular glutamate levels, neuronal death, and epilepsy in a mouse model of TSC (Tsc1(GFAP)CKO mice), involving inactivation of the Tsc1 gene primarily in astrocytes. Here, we tested whether pharmacological induction of astrocyte glutamate transporter expression can prevent the neurological phenotype of Tsc1(GFAP)CKO mice. Early treatment with ceftriaxone prior to the onset of epilepsy increased expression of astrocyte glutamate transporters, decreased extracellular glutamate levels, neuronal death, and seizure frequency, and improved survival in Tsc1(GFAP)CKO mice. In contrast, late treatment with ceftriaxone after onset of epilepsy increased glutamate transporter expression, but had no effect on seizures. These results indicate that astrocyte glutamate transporters contribute to epileptogenesis in Tsc1(GFAP)CKO mice and suggest novel therapeutic strategies for epilepsy in TSC directed at astrocytes.
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Waldbaum S, Patel M. Mitochondria, oxidative stress, and temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy Res 2010; 88:23-45. [PMID: 19850449 PMCID: PMC3236664 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2009.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2009] [Revised: 09/18/2009] [Accepted: 09/22/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial oxidative stress and dysfunction are contributing factors to various neurological disorders. Recently, there has been increasing evidence supporting the association between mitochondrial oxidative stress and epilepsy. Although certain inherited epilepsies are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, little is known about its role in acquired epilepsies such as temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Mitochondrial oxidative stress and dysfunction are emerging as key factors that not only result from seizures, but may also contribute to epileptogenesis. The occurrence of epilepsy increases with age, and mitochondrial oxidative stress is a leading mechanism of aging and age-related degenerative disease, suggesting a further involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction in seizure generation. Mitochondria have critical cellular functions that influence neuronal excitability including production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), fatty acid oxidation, control of apoptosis and necrosis, regulation of amino acid cycling, neurotransmitter biosynthesis, and regulation of cytosolic Ca(2+) homeostasis. Mitochondria are the primary site of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production making them uniquely vulnerable to oxidative stress and damage which can further affect cellular macromolecule function, the ability of the electron transport chain to produce ATP, antioxidant defenses, mitochondrial DNA stability, and synaptic glutamate homeostasis. Oxidative damage to one or more of these cellular targets may affect neuronal excitability and increase seizure susceptibility. The specific targeting of mitochondrial oxidative stress, dysfunction, and bioenergetics with pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments may be a novel avenue for attenuating epileptogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Waldbaum
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Colorado Denver School of Pharmacy Aurora, CO 80045 U.S.A
| | - Manisha Patel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Colorado Denver School of Pharmacy Aurora, CO 80045 U.S.A
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Excitotoxic neonatal damage induced by monosodium glutamate reduces several GABAergic markers in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in adulthood. Int J Dev Neurosci 2009; 27:845-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2009.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2009] [Revised: 07/07/2009] [Accepted: 07/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Yatsenko LN, Storchak LG, Parkhomenko NT, Himmelreich NH. Transmembrane Transport and Release of GABA in the Brain of Rats Subjected to Postnatal Hypoxia. NEUROPHYSIOLOGY+ 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s11062-009-9048-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Role of glutamate and GABA transporters in development of pentylenetetrazol-kindling. Neurochem Res 2009; 34:1324-31. [PMID: 19169815 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-009-9912-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/06/2009] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Kindling is a form of epileptogenesis that can be induced with pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). We undertook this study to evaluate the contribution of glutamate and GABA transporters to the process of PTZ kindling. Rats were injected i.p. three times per week with PTZ (40 mg/kg) until they were fully kindled. In rats who achieved full kindling, measurement of hippocampal glutamate and GABA transporters within 24 h by western blot showed that GLAST, GLT-1, and EAAC1 were elevated significantly. However, fully kindled rats at 30 days after their last seizure had no change in either glutamate or GABA transporters proteins. These sequential observations suggest that glutamate transporters may contribute to the occurrence of seizures, but were not associated with maintenance of epileptogenesis. During this experiment, we collected data from animals that had kindled easily and animals who were resistant to kindling. Easily-kindled rats reached full kindling with less than five injections of PTZ. Kindling resistant animals failed to achieve full kindling even after administration of 12 consecutive injections of PTZ. Levels of EAAC1 and GAT-1 in easily-kindled rats were decreased by 30% when compared to kindling resistant animals at 30 days after the last PTZ injection. Since decreased EAAC1 and GAT-1 would diminish GABA function, less quantity of these proteins would appear to be associated with the convulsive threshold at the beginning of kindling development. We wonder if glutamate and GABA transporters might be operant in a convulsion threshold set factor or as a pace factor for kindling.
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Lauriat TL, McInnes LA. EAAT2 regulation and splicing: relevance to psychiatric and neurological disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2007; 12:1065-78. [PMID: 17684493 DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4002065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) is responsible for the majority of glutamate uptake in the brain and its dysregulation has been associated with multiple psychiatric and neurological disorders. However, investigation of this molecule has been complicated by its complex pattern of alternative splicing, including three coding isoforms and multiple 5'- and 3'-UTRs that may have a regulatory function. It is likely that these sequences permit modulation of EAAT2 expression with spatial, temporal and or activity-dependent specificity; however, few studies have attempted to delineate the function of these sequences. Additionally, there are problems with the use of antibodies to study protein localization, possibly due to posttranslational modification of critical amino acid residues. This review describes what is currently known about the regulation of EAAT2 mRNA and protein isoforms and concludes with a summary of studies showing dysregulation of EAAT2 in psychiatric and neurological disorders. EAAT2 has been either primarily or secondarily implicated in a multitude of neuropsychiatric diseases in addition to the normal physiology of learning and memory. Thus, this molecule represents an intriguing therapeutic target once we improve our understanding of how it is regulated under normal conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- T L Lauriat
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE To study the differential expression of excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) at localized epileptic foci compared to nonepileptic regions in human neocortical epilepsy. Decreased expression of EAATs, the predominant mechanism to remove synaptic-released glutamate, may explain mechanisms of heightened excitability at these epileptic foci. METHODS The differential expression of EAAT1-4 at the mRNA and protein levels was measured in electrically mapped human neocortical tissues using quantitative real-time PCR and immunoblotting. This required a novel way to prevent aggregation of EAAT proteins through cold solubilization. Layer-specific neuronal densities were measured to control for potential differences in neuronal density. RESULTS While focal epileptic brain regions show marked increases in immediate early genes, they have significant reductions in the neuronal glutamate transporter mRNAs (EAAT3 and EAAT4). These changes were not associated with changes in relative neuronal density, suggesting a reduction in EAAT mRNA per neuron. Immunohistochemical staining of epileptic human neocortex confirmed the presence of EAAT1 and EAAT2 proteins in astroglial cells and EAAT3 and EAAT4 proteins in human cortical neurons. At the protein level, western blots of the same epileptic and nonepileptic regions for a subset of these patients showed a similar decrease of EAAT3 and EAAT4. Despite no change in EAAT2 mRNA, EAAT2 protein expression was significantly reduced at epileptic foci. CONCLUSION Regional reductions in EAAT expression at human neocortical epileptic foci could produce increased local glutamate levels that in turn may contribute to both hyperexcitability and the spontaneous generation of epileptic discharges that characterize human epileptic foci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay N Rakhade
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA
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Bjørnsen LP, Eid T, Holmseth S, Danbolt NC, Spencer DD, de Lanerolle NC. Changes in glial glutamate transporters in human epileptogenic hippocampus: Inadequate explanation for high extracellular glutamate during seizures. Neurobiol Dis 2007; 25:319-30. [PMID: 17112731 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2006.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2006] [Revised: 08/24/2006] [Accepted: 09/22/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) with hippocampal sclerosis is associated with high extracellular glutamate levels, which could trigger seizures. Down-regulation of glial glutamate transporters GLAST (EAAT1) and GLT-1 (EAAT2) in sclerotic hippocampi may account for such increases. Their distribution was compared immunohistochemically in non-sclerotic and sclerotic hippocampi and localized only in astrocytes, with weaker immunoreactivity for both transporters in areas associated with pronounced neuronal loss, especially in CA1, but no decrease or even an increase in areas with less neuronal loss, like CA2 and the subiculum in the sclerotic group. Such compensatory changes in immunoreactivity may account for the lack of differences between the groups in immunoblot studies as blots show the average concentrations in the samples. These data suggest that differences in glial glutamate transporter distribution between the two groups of hippocampi may be an insufficient explanation for the high levels of extracellular glutamate in sclerotic seizure foci observed through in vivo dialysis studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- L P Bjørnsen
- CMBN at Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, Norway
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Voutsinos-Porche B, Koning E, Clément Y, Kaplan H, Ferrandon A, Motte J, Nehlig A. EAAC1 glutamate transporter expression in the rat lithium-pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2006; 26:1419-30. [PMID: 16538232 DOI: 10.1038/sj.jcbfm.9600295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate excitotoxicity has been involved in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. Normal functioning of glutamate transporters clears the synaptically released glutamate to prevent excitotoxic neuronal death. Using densitometric immunohistochemical analysis, we examined the temporal expression of the neuronal glutamate transporter (EAAC1) in the lithium-pilocarpine rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy. During the acute period of lithium-pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus, EAAC1 transporter expression increased in the pyramidal neurons of cornus ammonis (CA)1, CA2 and CA3 (fields of the hippocampus), in dentate gyrus (DG) granule cells and in olfactory tubercle (Tu). During the latent period, EAAC1 expression was strongly expressed in the DG granular and molecular layers, Tu, cerebral cortex and septum, and went back to control levels in CA1, CA2 and CA3 layers. The overexpression of EAAC1 occurred mainly in structures prone to develop Fluoro-Jade-B-positive degenerating neurons. It is, however, not clear to what extent the overexpression of EAAC1 contributes to epileptogenesis and in which area it may represent a preventive or compensatory or response to injury.
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Jiang KW, Gao F, Shui QX, Yu ZS, Xia ZZ. Effect of diazoxide on regulation of vesicular and plasma membrane GABA transporter genes and proteins in hippocampus of rats subjected to picrotoxin-induced kindling. Neurosci Res 2005; 50:319-29. [PMID: 15488295 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2004.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2004] [Accepted: 08/03/2004] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Epileptiform discharges and behavioral seizures may be the consequences of excess excitation from inadequate inhibitory effects associated with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is taken up and accumulated in synaptic vesicles by the action of vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) before its release into the synaptic cleft, and removed from synaptic regions by the action of transporter proteins GABA transporter-1 (GAT-1) and GABA transporter-3 (GAT-3). In this experiment, the effects of diazoxide (DIZ) on the VGAT, GAT-1 and GAT-3 mRNA and protein levels in hippocampus, and on the seizure activities of picrotoxin (PTX)-induced kindling rats were observed. DIZ caused increase in the quantity of VGAT mRNAs and proteins, and down regulation of GABA transporters GAT-1 and GAT-3 mRNAs and proteins after the PTX re-kindling. Furthermore, DIZ produced not only a prompt but also a later suppression of PTX-induced seizures. Although DIZ has effects on ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels when measured in vitro, our study suggests that additional mechanisms of action may involve the regulation of GABA transporters, which may aid in understanding epileptogenesis and inform investigators about future design and development of K(ATP) channel openers to treat epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Wen Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 57 Zhugan Xiang, Hangzhou 310003, China.
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Frahm C, Haupt C, Weinandy F, Siegel G, Bruehl C, Witte OW. Regulation of GABA transporter mRNA and protein after photothrombotic infarct in rat brain. J Comp Neurol 2004; 478:176-88. [PMID: 15349978 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Animal models of focal ischemic infarcts reveal an impaired GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acid) neurotransmission. GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter, is primarily taken up by specific sodium-dependent transporters. As these transporters play a crucial role in maintaining levels of GABA concentration, they may be functionally involved in ischemic processes. We investigated whether the mRNA and protein expression of GAT-1, the dominant neuronal GABA transporter, is altered after cortical infarct induced by photothrombosis in Wistar rats. In situ hybridization was performed to analyze GAT-1 mRNA-positive cells in cortical brain regions and the hippocampus. The lesion dramatically raised the number of GABA transporter mRNA-expressing cells in all investigated cortical regions. Double-labeling studies with a general neuronal marker and a marker for astrocytes revealed that cells expressing GAT-1 mRNA after photothrombosis are neurons. The mRNA expression pattern of all hippocampal subfields remained unchanged. In contrast, cortical GAT-1 protein density was only slightly affected and surprisingly in the opposite way. In the primary and secondary somatosensory cortex, density values were significantly reduced. Immunoreactivity was not altered in all investigated hippocampal areas. We found a marked discordance between the increased number of cells expressing GAT-1 mRNA in the cortex and the reduced tissue GAT-1 protein content. Focal brain ischemia obviously triggers mechanisms that interfere with GAT-1 transcriptional regulation and protein synthesis or turnover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Frahm
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, 07745 Jena, Germany.
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Conti F, Minelli A, Melone M. GABA transporters in the mammalian cerebral cortex: localization, development and pathological implications. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 45:196-212. [PMID: 15210304 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2004.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/09/2004] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian cerebral cortex, are regulated by specific high-affinity, Na+/Cl- dependent transporters. Four distinct genes encoding GABA transporters (GATs), named GAT-1, GAT-2, GAT-3, and BGT-1 have been identified using molecular cloning. Of these, GAT-1 and -3 are expressed in the cerebral cortex. Studies of the cortical distribution, cellular localization, ontogeny and relationships of GATs with GABA-releasing elements using a variety of light and electron microscopic immunocytochemical techniques have shown that: (i) a fraction of GATs is strategically placed to mediate GABA uptake at fast inhibitory synapses, terminating GABA's action and shaping inhibitory postsynaptic responses; (ii) another fraction may participate in functions such as the regulation of GABA's diffusion to neighboring synapses and of GABA levels in cerebrospinal fluid; (iii) GATs may play a role in the complex processes regulating cortical maturation; and (iv) GATs may contribute to the dysregulation of neuronal excitability that accompanies at least two major human diseases: epilepsy and ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiorenzo Conti
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisiologia, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Tronto 10/A, Torrette di Ancona, I-60020 Ancona, Italy.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION An epileptic seizure is a clinical event and epilepsy is rather a group of symptoms than a disease. The main features all epilepsies have in common include, spontaneous occurrence, repetitiveness, and ictal correlation within the EEG. Epilepsies are manifested with distinct EEG changes, requiring exact clinical definition and consequential treatment. Current data show that 1% of the world's population (approximately 50 million people) suffers from epilepsy, with 25% of patients bpeing refractory to therapy and requiring search for new substances in order to decrease EEG and behavioral manifestations of epilepsies. MATERIAL AND METHODS In regard to discovery and testing of anticonvulsant substances the best results were achieved by implementation of experimental models. Animal models of epilepsy are useful in acquiring basic knowledge regarding pathogenesis, neurotransmitters (glutamate), receptors (NMDA/AIPA/kainate), propagation of epileptic seizures and preclinical assessment of antiepileptics (competitive and non-competitive NMDA antagonists). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS In our lab, we have developed a pharmacologic model of a (metaphit, NMDA and remacemide-cilastatin) generalized, reflex, and audiogenic epilepsy. The model is suitable for testing various anticonvulsant substances (e.g. APH, A4P, CPP, Mk-801) and potential antiepileptics (e.g. DSIP, its tetra- and octaanalogues).
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Shin RS, Anisman H, Merali Z, McIntyre DC. Amygdala amino acid and monoamine levels in genetically Fast and Slow kindling rat strains during massed amygdala kindling: a microdialysis study. Eur J Neurosci 2004; 20:185-94. [PMID: 15245491 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2004.03477.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the neurochemistry of epileptic seizures in rats selectively bred to be seizure-prone (Fast) vs. seizure-resistant (Slow) to amygdala kindling. Microdialysis was used to measure levels of amino acids [glutamate, aspartate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)] and monoamines (noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin) during 'massed' stimulation (MS) (every 6 min) of the ipsilateral amygdala for a total of 40 stimulation trials. Behavioral seizure profiles together with their afterdischarge thresholds (ADTs) and associated durations were assessed during the procedure, and subsequently were redetermined 1, 7 and 14 days later. Then normal 'daily' kindling commenced and continued until the animal reached the fully kindled state. During MS, several generalized seizures were triggered in Fast rats that were associated with long afterdischarge (AD) durations and intermittent periods of elevated thresholds, but in Slow rats, most stimulations were associated with stable ADTs and short ADs. Progressively increasing extracellular glutamate and decreasing GABA was observed in Fast rats during the MS, whereas Slow rats showed levels similar to baseline values. Levels of noradrenaline and dopamine, but not of serotonin, were also increased in both strains throughout the MS treatment. In Fast rats, a dramatic lengthening of AD durations occurred 7 and 14 days following MS, as well as subsequent strong positive transfer to daily kindling, all of which were not seen in Slow rats. Together, these results show that repeated, closely spaced stimulations of the amygdala can differentially alter excitatory and/or inhibitory transmitter levels in a seizure network, and that sensitivity to this manipulation is genetically determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick S Shin
- Department of Psychology, Life Sciences Research Building, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
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25
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Furuta A, Noda M, Suzuki SO, Goto Y, Kanahori Y, Rothstein JD, Iwaki T. Translocation of glutamate transporter subtype excitatory amino acid carrier 1 protein in kainic acid-induced rat epilepsy. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2003; 163:779-87. [PMID: 12875997 PMCID: PMC1868233 DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9440(10)63705-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate excitotoxicity has been implicated in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. Systemic injection of kainic acid (KA) in the rat produces an animal model of human temporal lobe epilepsy. We examined the temporal expression of the sodium-dependent neuronal glutamate transporter, excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1), in KA-induced rat epilepsy. As an early alteration, perinuclear deposits of EAAC1 protein were found mainly in the large pyramidal neurons at the hippocampus, neocortex, piriform cortex, and amygdala with the reduction of neuropil staining 6 hours after KA injection. Immunoelectron microscopic study revealed that the perinuclear EAAC1 immunoreactivity corresponded to the translocation to the Golgi complex. At this time point, EAAC1 mRNA was down-regulated. The intracellular aggregation of EAAC1 primarily disappeared by 24 hours. In vitro studies indicated that internalization of EAAC1 from the plasma membrane to the intracellular compartment by KA treatment was associated with the reduction of electrogenic transporter currents. Our results suggest that the transient EAAC1 internalization participates in the modulation of the transporter function preventing excessive glutamate uptake to pyramidal neurons during the early stage of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Furuta
- Department of Neuropathology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
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Trotti D. A role for glutamate transporters in neurodegenerative diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2003; 513:225-48. [PMID: 12575823 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4615-0123-7_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Trotti
- Department of Neurology, Cecil B. Day Laboratory for Neuromuscular Research, Msasachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charleston, MA 02129, USA
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Raisinghani M, Faingold CL. Identification of the requisite brain sites in the neuronal network subserving generalized clonic audiogenic seizures. Brain Res 2003; 967:113-22. [PMID: 12650972 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(02)04232-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Comparative studies of neuronal networks that subserve convulsions in closely-related epilepsy models are revealing instructive data about the pathophysiological mechanisms that govern these networks. Studies of audiogenic seizures (AGS) in genetically epilepsy-prone rats (GEPRs) and related forms of AGS demonstrate important network similarities and differences. Two substrains of GEPRs exist, GEPR-9s, exhibiting tonic AGS, and GEPR-3s, exhibiting clonic AGS. The neuronal network for tonic AGS resides exclusively in brainstem nuclei, but forebrain sites, including the amygdala (AMG), are recruited after repetitive AGS induction. The neuronal network for clonic AGS remains to be investigated. The present study examined the neuronal network for clonic AGS in GEPR-3s by microinjecting a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, D,L-2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (AP7), into the central nucleus of inferior colliculus (ICc), deep layers of superior colliculus (DLSC), periaqueductal grey (PAG), or caudal pontine reticular formation (cPRF), which are implicated in tonic AGS networks. Microinjections into AMG and perirhinal cortex (PRh), which are not implicated in AGS, were also done. AGS in GEPR-3s were blocked reversibly after microinjections into ICc, DLSC, PAG or cPRF. However, AGS were also blocked by AP7 in AMG but not PRh. The sites in which AP7 blocks AGS are implicated as requisite components of the clonic AGS network, and these data support a critical role for NMDA receptors in clonic AGS modulation. The brainstem nuclei of the clonic AGS network are identical to those subserving tonic AGS. However, the requisite involvement of AMG in the clonic AGS network, which is not seen in tonic AGS, is surprising and suggests important mechanistic differences between clonic and tonic forms of AGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Raisinghani
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University, School of Medicine, P.O. Box 19629, Springfield 62794-9629, USA
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Rainesalo S, Saransaari P, Peltola J, Keränen T. Uptake of GABA and activity of GABA-transaminase in platelets from epileptic patients. Epilepsy Res 2003; 53:233-9. [PMID: 12694932 DOI: 10.1016/s0920-1211(03)00030-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to assess the activity of GABA-transaminase (GABA-T) and the kinetic parameters of GABA uptake in platelets from patients with distinct epileptic syndromes. We studied 14 patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), 19 patients with refractory localization-related epilepsy (RLE) and 20 healthy volunteers who were matched for age and sex. Acute effects of valproate (VPA) and lamotrigine (LTG) on the uptake of GABA and the activity of GABA-T in platelets in vitro were also analyzed. The mean activity of GABA-T in JME patients was significantly higher than in control subjects, whereas RLE patients did not significantly differ from controls. The capacity of GABA uptake was least in JME patients, intermediate in RLE patients and highest in controls. In vitro VPA (concentrations 150-1200 microM) or LTG (concentrations 1-100 microM) had no significant effects on GABA uptake. Our results indicate marked differences in the platelet uptake of GABA and the activity of catabolic enzyme GABA-T between patients with generalized and localization-related epileptic syndromes. The observed peripheral alterations may indicate an impairment in the function of brain GABAergic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirpa Rainesalo
- Brain Research Center, Medical School, University of Tampere, Tampere FIN-33014, Finland.
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29
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Suchak SK, Baloyianni NV, Perkinton MS, Williams RJ, Meldrum BS, Rattray M. The 'glial' glutamate transporter, EAAT2 (Glt-1) accounts for high affinity glutamate uptake into adult rodent nerve endings. J Neurochem 2003; 84:522-32. [PMID: 12558972 DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2003.01553.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The excitatory amino acid transporters (EAAT) removes neurotransmitters glutamate and aspartate from the synaptic cleft. Most CNS glutamate uptake is mediated by EAAT2 into glia, though nerve terminals show evidence for uptake, through an unknown transporter. Reverse-transcriptase PCR identified the expression of EAAT1, EAAT2, EAAT3 and EAAT4 mRNAs in primary cultures of mouse cortical or striatal neurones. We have used synaptosomes and glial plasmalemmal vesicles (GPV) from adult mouse and rat CNS to identify the nerve terminal transporter. Western blotting showed detectable levels of the transporters EAAT1 (GLAST) and EAAT2 (Glt-1) in both synaptosomes and GPVs. Uptake of [3H]D-aspartate or [3H]L-glutamate into these preparations revealed sodium-dependent uptake in GPV and synaptosomes which was inhibited by a range of EAAT blockers: dihydrokainate, serine-o-sulfate, l-trans-2,4-pyrrolidine dicarboxylate (PDC) (+/-)-threo-3-methylglutamate and (2S,4R )-4-methylglutamate. The IC50 values found for these compounds suggested functional expression of the 'glial, transporter, EAAT2 in nerve terminals. Additionally blockade of the majority EAAT2 uptake sites with 100 micro m dihydrokainate, failed to unmask any functional non-EAAT2 uptake sites. The data presented in this study indicate that EAAT2 is the predominant nerve terminal glutamate transporter in the adult rodent CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachin K Suchak
- Biochemical Neuropharmacology Group, Centre for Neuroscience Research, GKT School of Biomedical Sciences, King's College London, United Kingdom
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Frahm C, Stief F, Zuschratter W, Draguhn A. Unaltered control of extracellular GABA-concentration through GAT-1 in the hippocampus of rats after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus. Epilepsy Res 2003; 52:243-52. [PMID: 12536057 DOI: 10.1016/s0920-1211(02)00233-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The uptake of the inhibitory transmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) limits the efficacy of synaptic and tonic inhibition in brain tissue. It has been reported that GABA-uptake is down-regulated in temporal lobe epilepsy. This down-regulation may increase the inhibitory action of GABA but may also limit the anticonvulsant activity of GABA-uptake blockers. We have directly compared the function of GABA-uptake in hippocampal slices from normal and chronically epileptic rats. We raised the global extracellular concentration of GABA by bath-application of the agonist in the absence and presence of the GABA-uptake blocker tiagabine. GABA-induced currents were measured in dentate granule cells and CA1 pyramidal neurons in hippocampal slices. The potentiation of currents by tiagabine was taken as a measure for the efficacy of GABA-uptake in the hippocampal tissue. There was no difference between cells from control- or pilocarpine-treated animals in the response to GABA or in the conductance increase following application of tiagabine. Our data show that in the chronic phase of the pilocarpine-model GABA-uptake maintains its ability to control the extracellular background concentration of GABA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Frahm
- Johannes-Müller-Institut für Physiologie der Charité, Tucholskystr. 2, 10117, Berlin, Germany
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31
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Shin RS, Anisman H, Merali Z, McIntyre DC. Changes in extracellular levels of amygdala amino acids in genetically fast and slow kindling rat strains. Brain Res 2002; 946:31-42. [PMID: 12133592 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(02)02821-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A neurochemical basis for many of the epilepsies has long been suspected to result from an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter mechanisms. Data supporting changes in extrasynaptic amino acid levels during epileptogenesis, however, remain controversial. In the present study, we used in vivo microdialysis to measure the levels of extracellular GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and glutamate during seizure development in rats with a genetic predisposition for (Fast), or against (Slow), amygdala kindling. Dialysates were collected from both amygdalae before, during, and up to 12 min after a threshold-triggered amygdala afterdischarge (AD). One hour later, samples were again collected from both amygdalae in response to a hippocampal threshold AD. Daily amygdala kindling commenced the next day but without dialysis. After the rats were fully kindled, the same protocol was again employed. Amino acid levels were not consistently increased above baseline with triggered seizures in either strain. Instead, before kindling, a focal seizure in the Slow rats was associated with a large decrease in GABA in the non-stimulated amygdala, while amino acid levels in the Fast rats remained near baseline in both amygdalae. Similar results were seen after kindling. By contrast, before and after kindling, hippocampal stimulation caused large decreases in all amino acid levels in both amygdalae in both strains. These data suggest that, in response to direct stimulation, extracellular amino acid concentrations remain stable in tissues associated with either greater natural (Fast) or induced (kindled Fast/Slow) excitability, but are lowered with indirect stimulation (hippocampus) and/or low excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick S Shin
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Life Sciences Research Building, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada.
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Patel AB, Rothman DL, Cline GW, Behar KL. Glutamine is the major precursor for GABA synthesis in rat neocortex in vivo following acute GABA-transaminase inhibition. Brain Res 2001; 919:207-20. [PMID: 11701133 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(01)03015-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The objective of the present study was to assess the degree to which astrocytic glutamine provides carbon for net synthesis of GABA in the rat neocortex in vivo. Isotopic labeling of GABA and glutamate from astrocytic glutamine was followed in halothane anesthetized and ventilated rats during an intravenous infusion of [2-(13)C]glucose. A net increase in GABA was achieved by administration of the GABA-transaminase inhibitor, gabaculine to suppress catabolism of GABA and recycling of (13)C label. (13)C Percentage enrichments of GABA, glutamate and glutamine were assessed in tissue extracts using (13)C-edited (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance at 8.4 T. GABA levels increased 2.6 micromol/g at 2 h and 6.1 micromol/g at 5 h after gabaculine, whereas glutamate and glutamine decreased in toto by 5.6 micromol/g at 2 h and 3.1 micromol/g at 5 h. Selective enrichment of glutamine, glutamate, and GABA C3's over other carbon positions was observed consistent with a precursor role for astrocytic glutamine. Between 1 h (control) and 3 h (gabaculine-treated) of [2-(13)C]glucose infusion, (13)C percentage enrichment increased in glutamine C3 (from 3.2+/-0.5 to 7.0+/-0.9%), glutamate C3 (from 1.8+/-0.5 to 3.4+/-0.9%), and GABA C3 (from 2.7+/-1.6 to 4.8+/-0.4%). The measured incremental [3-(13)C]GABA concentration (0.15 micromol/g) was close to the predicted value (0.13 micromol/g) that would be expected if the increase in GABA were produced entirely from glutamine compared to glutamate (0.07 micromol/g) based on the average precursor enrichments between 1 and 3 h. We conclude that glutamine is the major source of GABA carbon in the rat neocortex produced acutely following GABA-T inhibition by gabaculine in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- A B Patel
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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Bendotti C, Tortarolo M, Suchak SK, Calvaresi N, Carvelli L, Bastone A, Rizzi M, Rattray M, Mennini T. Transgenic SOD1 G93A mice develop reduced GLT-1 in spinal cord without alterations in cerebrospinal fluid glutamate levels. J Neurochem 2001; 79:737-46. [PMID: 11723166 DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2001.00572.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate-induced excitotoxicity is suggested to play a central role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), although it is still unclear whether it represents a primary cause in the cascade leading to motor neurone death. We used western blotting, immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization to examine the expression of GLT-1 in transgenic mice carrying a mutated (G93A) human copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (TgSOD1 G93A), which closely mimic the features of ALS. We observed a progressive decrease in the immunoreactivity of the glial glutamate transporter (GLT-1) in the ventral, but not in the dorsal, horn of lumbar spinal cord. This effect was specifically found in 14- and 18-week-old mice that had motor function impairment, motor neurone loss and reactive astrocytosis. No changes in GLT-1 were observed at 8 weeks of age, before the appearance of clinical symptoms. Decreases in GLT-1 were accompanied by increased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels and no change in the levels of GLAST, another glial glutamate transporter. The glutamate concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of TgSOD1 G93A mice was not modified at any of the time points examined, compared with age-matched controls. These findings indicate that the loss of GLT-1 protein in ALS mice selectively occurs in the areas affected by neurodegeneration and reactive astrocytosis and it is not associated with increases of glutamate levels in CSF. The lack of changes in GLT-1 at the presymptomatic stage suggests that glial glutamate transporter reduction is not a primary event leading to motor neurone loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bendotti
- Department of Neuroscience Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milano, Italy.
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Ingram EM, Wiseman JW, Tessler S, Emson PC. Reduction of glial glutamate transporters in the parietal cortex and hippocampus of the EL mouse. J Neurochem 2001; 79:564-75. [PMID: 11701760 DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2001.00612.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
There is extensive experimental evidence indicating a crucial role for glutamate in epileptogenesis and epileptic activity. The glial glutamate transporters GLT1 and GLAST are proposed to account for the majority of extracellular glutamate re-uptake. In the present study, polyclonal antibodies specific to GLT1 and GLAST were generated and characterized, revealing distribution patterns for the two transporters confirming those previously reported. In situ hybridization and immunoblotting were then used to compare levels of these two transporters in the parietal cortex and hippocampus of unstimulated and stimulated EL mice with DDY control mice. Additionally, HPLC determined tissue glutamate concentrations in the same regions of these animals. These experiments revealed reductions in GLT1 mRNA and protein in the parietal cortex of unstimulated and stimulated EL mice compared with DDY controls, accompanied by an increase in tissue glutamate concentration in the stimulated EL mice group. GLT1 mRNA was also reduced in the CA3 hippocampal subfield of both unstimulated and stimulated EL mice. GLAST protein was reduced in the hippocampus of the stimulated EL mice group, while no changes in GLAST mRNA or protein were detected in the parietal cortex of EL mice when compared with DDY controls. The glial glutamate transporter down-regulation reported here may play a role in seizure initiation, spread and maintenance in the EL mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Ingram
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK.
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35
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Akbar MT, Wells DJ, Latchman DS, de Belleroche J. Heat shock protein 27 shows a distinctive widespread spatial and temporal pattern of induction in CNS glial and neuronal cells compared to heat shock protein 70 and caspase 3 following kainate administration. BRAIN RESEARCH. MOLECULAR BRAIN RESEARCH 2001; 93:148-63. [PMID: 11589992 DOI: 10.1016/s0169-328x(01)00199-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Kainate-induced status epilepticus is associated with both apoptotic and necrotic cell death and induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in hippocampal and cortical regions of the rodent brain. In the present study we have examined the temporal, spatial and cellular expression patterns of mRNAs for the highly inducible HSPs, HSP70 and HSP27, together with the apoptotic marker, caspase 3 (CPP32) in rat brain after systemic administration of kainate. HSP70 mRNA was transiently induced in the forebrain by kainate, principally in the CA1, CA3 and hilar cells of the hippocampal formation, in piriform cortex and discrete thalamic nuclei. Maximal expression was seen at 8 h after kainate which then declined to background levels by 7 days. Labelling was predominantly neuronal. In contrast, HSP27 mRNA expression was more widespread. Intense labelling was observed in CA1, CA3 and the hilar region at 8 h after kainate but the expression profile for HSP27 mRNA expanded considerably with intense signals seen in corpus callosum, cortex and thalamus at 24 h post kainate. Emulsion autoradiographs indicated a predominantly glial localisation for HSP27 mRNA. In the hilus, a distinct subpopulation of interneurones were found to express HSP27 mRNA. CPP32 mRNA was upregulated in CA1, CA3 and hilus of the hippocampal formation and in piriform cortex. CPP32 mRNA expression was more restricted and similar in distribution to HSP70 mRNA being localised to neurones. The present study demonstrates the unique early expression of HSP27 mRNA by glial cells and distinct populations of neurones which extends beyond those in which HSP70 and CPP32 induction occurs with subsequent cell loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- M T Akbar
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Division of Neuroscience and Psychological Medicine, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, W6 8RF, London, UK
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Gegelashvili G, Robinson MB, Trotti D, Rauen T. Regulation of glutamate transporters in health and disease. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2001; 132:267-86. [PMID: 11544995 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(01)32082-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G Gegelashvili
- Department of Pharmacology, Royal Danish School of Pharmacy, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
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Kang TC, Kim HS, Seo MO, Park SK, Kwon HY, Kang JH, Won MH. The changes in the expressions of gamma-aminobutyric acid transporters in the gerbil hippocampal complex following spontaneous seizure. Neurosci Lett 2001; 310:29-32. [PMID: 11524150 DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3940(01)02088-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
To identify the roles of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter in epileptogenesis and the recovery mechanisms in spontaneous seizure, a chronological and comparative analysis of GABA transporters (GAT) expression was conducted. GAT-1 immunoreactivity was more strongly detected in the pre-seizure group of seizure sensitive (SS) gerbils than that seen in the seizure resistant group. 30 min postictal, the density of GAT-1 immunoreactivity was significantly decreased in the hippocampal complex, as compared to pre-seizure group. 12 h after seizure on-set, the GAT immunodensity recovered to the pre-seizure level. Following the onset of seizure, GAT-3 immunoreactivity remained unchanged. These results suggest that the increase of GAT-1 expression in the SS gerbil hippocampus may affect epileptogenesis in this animal, and the alteration of immunoreactivity following seizure may be compensatory responses to modulate seizure activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- T C Kang
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chunchon, Kangwon-Do 200-702, South Korea
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38
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Abstract
Brain tissue has a remarkable ability to accumulate glutamate. This ability is due to glutamate transporter proteins present in the plasma membranes of both glial cells and neurons. The transporter proteins represent the only (significant) mechanism for removal of glutamate from the extracellular fluid and their importance for the long-term maintenance of low and non-toxic concentrations of glutamate is now well documented. In addition to this simple, but essential glutamate removal role, the glutamate transporters appear to have more sophisticated functions in the modulation of neurotransmission. They may modify the time course of synaptic events, the extent and pattern of activation and desensitization of receptors outside the synaptic cleft and at neighboring synapses (intersynaptic cross-talk). Further, the glutamate transporters provide glutamate for synthesis of e.g. GABA, glutathione and protein, and for energy production. They also play roles in peripheral organs and tissues (e.g. bone, heart, intestine, kidneys, pancreas and placenta). Glutamate uptake appears to be modulated on virtually all possible levels, i.e. DNA transcription, mRNA splicing and degradation, protein synthesis and targeting, and actual amino acid transport activity and associated ion channel activities. A variety of soluble compounds (e.g. glutamate, cytokines and growth factors) influence glutamate transporter expression and activities. Neither the normal functioning of glutamatergic synapses nor the pathogenesis of major neurological diseases (e.g. cerebral ischemia, hypoglycemia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy and schizophrenia) as well as non-neurological diseases (e.g. osteoporosis) can be properly understood unless more is learned about these transporter proteins. Like glutamate itself, glutamate transporters are somehow involved in almost all aspects of normal and abnormal brain activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- N C Danbolt
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1105, Blindern, N-0317, Oslo, Norway
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Nakajima K, Tohyama Y, Kohsaka S, Kurihara T. Ability of rat microglia to uptake extracellular glutamate. Neurosci Lett 2001; 307:171-4. [PMID: 11438391 DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3940(01)01943-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Since it has been suggested that microglia in vivo act as glutamate scavengers, this possibility was investigated in primary cultured microglia. The microglia showed specific abilities to uptake (14)C-glutamate depending on incubation time and numbers of cells used. The activity was suppressed by a specific inhibitor for a glial cell-type transporter, glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) (EAAT2). However, that of cultured astrocytes was not affected. These results suggest that microglia uptake glutamate by means of GLT-1. Supporting these results, immunoblotting revealed the presence of GLT-1 in the microglia, while only glutamate-aspartate transporter (GLAST) (EAAT1: another glial cell-type transporter) was detected in the astrocytes. All together, these results indicate that microglia can act as glutamate scavengers in vivo by expressing the glutamate transporter GLT-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Nakajima
- Institute of Life Science, Soka University, 1-236 Tangi-machi, Hachioji, 192-8577, Tokyo, Japan.
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40
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Ramirez MJ, Heslop KE, Francis PT, Rattray M. Expression of amyloid precursor protein, tau and presenilin RNAs in rat hippocampus following deafferentation lesions. Brain Res 2001; 907:222-32. [PMID: 11430905 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(01)02580-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In this study, entorhinal cortex lesions and/or medial septal area cholinergic lesions were used in the rat to mimic some of the principal and earliest affects in Alzheimer's disease, namely hippocampal deafferentation. We wished to test the hypothesis that deafferentation lesions cause changes in the regulation of three proteins that are known to be important in Alzheimer's disease pathology, namely amyloid precursor protein, presenilin and tau. Expression of amyloid precursor protein mRNA was increased in several subfields of hippocampus when examined 1 week after entorhinal cortex lesion, but was reduced, compared to sham operated controls, after medial septal area cholinergic lesions. Cholinergic lesions were combined with entorhinal cortex lesions and produced no change in APP mRNA levels compared to controls. No significant changes were observed in the parietal cortex after entorhinal cortex or cholinergic lesions either alone or in combination. Tau mRNA level in hippocampus was unchanged after lesions. Presenilin-1 mRNA was expressed in the hippocampus at very low levels, and appeared to be increased following entorhinal cortex lesion. Our results support the hypothesis that amyloid precursor protein expression in hippocampal neurons is differentially affected by glutamatergic and cholinergic afferent input, and that presenilin-1, but not tau, may be subject to the same type of control in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Ramirez
- Biochemical Neuropharmacology Group, Centre for Neuroscience Research, GKT School of Biomedical Sciences, King's College London, Hodgkin Building, Guy's Hospital Campus, SE1 1UL, London, UK
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41
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Ekstrand JJ, Domroese ME, Johnson DM, Feig SL, Knodel SM, Behan M, Haberly LB. A new subdivision of anterior piriform cortex and associated deep nucleus with novel features of interest for olfaction and epilepsy. J Comp Neurol 2001; 434:289-307. [PMID: 11331530 DOI: 10.1002/cne.1178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The anterior part of the piriform cortex (the APC) has been the focus of cortical-level studies of olfactory coding and associative processes and has attracted considerable attention as a result of a unique capacity to initiate generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Based on analysis of cytoarchitecture, connections, and immunocytochemical markers, a new subdivision of the APC and an associated deep nucleus are distinguished in the rat. As a result of its ventrorostral location in the APC, the new subdivision is termed the APC(VR). The deep nucleus is termed the pre-endopiriform nucleus (pEn) based on location and certain parallels to the endopiriform nucleus. The APC(VR) has unique features of interest for normal function: immunostaining suggests that it receives input from tufted cells in the olfactory bulb in addition to mitral cells, and it provides a heavy, rather selective projection from the piriform cortex to the ventrolateral orbital cortex (VLO), a prefrontal area where chemosensory, visual, and spatial information converges. The APC(VR) also has di- and tri-synaptic projections to the VLO via the pEn and the submedial thalamic nucleus. The pEn is of particular interest from a pathological standpoint because it corresponds in location to the physiologically defined "deep piriform cortex" ("area tempestas") from which convulsants initiate temporal lobe seizures, and blockade reduces ischemic damage to the hippocampus. Immunostaining revealed novel features of the pEn and APC(VR) that could alter excitability, including a near-absence of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic "cartridge" endings on axon initial segments, few cholecystokinin (CCK)-positive basket cells, and very low gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter-1 (GAT1)-like immunoreactivity. Normal functions of the APC(VR)-pEn may require a shaping of neuronal activity by inhibitory processes in a fashion that renders this region susceptible to pathological behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Ekstrand
- Department of Anatomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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42
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Ma Y, Hu JH, Zhao WJ, Fei J, Yu Y, Zhou XG, Mei ZT, Guo LH. Overexpression of gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter subtype I leads to susceptibility to kainic acid-induced seizure in transgenic mice. Cell Res 2001; 11:61-7. [PMID: 11305326 DOI: 10.1038/sj.cr.7290067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter, and the GABAergic synaptic transmission is normally terminated by the rapid uptake through GABA transporters. With transgenic mice ubiquitously overexpressing GABA transporter subtype I (GAT1), the present study explored the pathophysiological role of GAT1 in epileptogenesis. Though displaying no spontaneous seizure activity, these mice exhibit altered electroencephalographic patterns and increased susceptibility to seizure induced by kainic acid. In addition, the GABA(A) receptor and glutamate transporters are up-regulated in transgenic mice, which perhaps reflects a compensatory or corrective change to the elevated level of GAT1. These preliminary findings support the hypothesis that excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, and seizure susceptibility can be altered by neurotransmitter transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Ma
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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43
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Orozco-Suarez S, Brunson KL, Feria-Velasco A, Ribak CE. Increased expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter-1 in the forebrain of infant rats with corticotropin-releasing hormone-induced seizures but not in those with hyperthermia-induced seizures. Epilepsy Res 2000; 42:141-57. [PMID: 11074187 DOI: 10.1016/s0920-1211(00)00174-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
High affinity, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plasma membrane transporters (GATs) influence the availability of GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Recent studies suggest a crucial role for GATs in maintaining levels of synaptic GABA in normal as well as abnormal (i.e., epileptic) adult brain. However, the role of GATs during development and specifically changes in their expression in response to developmental seizures are unknown. The present study examined GAT-1-immunolabeling in infant rats with two types of developmental seizures, one induced by corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) lasting about 2 h and the other by hyperthermia (a model of febrile seizures) lasting only 20 min. The number of GAT-1-immunoreactive (ir) neurons was increased in several forebrain regions 24 h after induction of seizures by CRH as compared to the control group. Increased numbers of detectable GAT-1-ir cell bodies were found in the hippocampal formation including the dentate gyrus and CA1, and in the neocortex, piriform cortex and amygdala. In contrast, hyperthermia-induced seizures did not cause significant changes in the number of detectable GAT-1-ir somata. The increase in GAT-1-ir somata in the CRH model and not in the hyperthermia model may reflect the difference in the duration of seizures. The brain regions where this increase occurs correlate with the occurrence of argyrophyllic neurons in the CRH model.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Orozco-Suarez
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-1275, USA
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44
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Samuelsson C, Kumlien E, Flink R, Lindholm D, Ronne-Engström E. Decreased cortical levels of astrocytic glutamate transport protein GLT-1 in a rat model of posttraumatic epilepsy. Neurosci Lett 2000; 289:185-8. [PMID: 10961660 DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3940(00)01284-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular homeostasis of glutamate in the brain is maintained by the efficient uptake into astroglial cells. The high extracellular glutamate levels seen during seizures are therefore probably a result of both an increased synaptic release and a deranged glutamate uptake. In this study we used immuno-blotting technique to measure the cortical levels of the astrocytic glutamate transport protein (GLT-1) and of the glutamate and aspartate transporting protein (GLAST) in an epilepsy model induced by ferrous chloride injection in the cortex of rats. The levels of GLT-1 were lower in epileptic rats than in controls, day 1 and 5 after induction, but not at 3 months. Glial fibrillary protein (GFAP) levels increased with time in the epileptic model, whereas GLAST and beta-tubulin III remained unchanged compared to controls. The results suggest that the transient decrease of GLT-1 could play a role in epileptogenesis, while recurrent seizure activity may be maintained by other mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Samuelsson
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Sweden
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45
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Ueda Y, Willmore LJ. Hippocampal gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter alterations following focal epileptogenesis induced in rat amygdala. Brain Res Bull 2000; 52:357-61. [PMID: 10922514 DOI: 10.1016/s0361-9230(00)00272-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
To study the role of hippocampal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporters in epileptogenesis, we induced chronic seizures by ferric cation injection into the rat amygdaloid body. We used western blotting to measure alterations in the expression of hippocampal GABA transporter proteins GAT-1 and GAT-3. GAT-1 increased bilaterally (from 150 to 250%) at 5 to 15 days after injection, but returned to control levels by 30 days. In contrast, GAT-3 also significantly increased bilaterally at 5 days and 15 days, but remained elevated bilaterally at 30 days after injection. Alterations in GAT-1 levels are apparently transient responses to seizure activity that occur during the acute phase of epileptogenesis. However, we propose that regulation of the GAT-3 subtype transporter was chronically elevated (at least 30 days), represents an effect of epileptogenesis induced by ferric ion injected into the amygdaloid body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Ueda
- Department of Psychiatry, Miyazaki, Miyazaki Medical College, Miyazaki, Japan.
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46
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Ingram EM, Tessler S, Bowery NG, Emson PC. Glial glutamate transporter mRNAs in the genetically absence epilepsy rat from Strasbourg. BRAIN RESEARCH. MOLECULAR BRAIN RESEARCH 2000; 75:96-104. [PMID: 10648892 DOI: 10.1016/s0169-328x(99)00301-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies support a critical role for the glutamatergic system and glutamate transporters in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. The glial glutamate transporters GLT-1 (L-glutamate transporter) and GLAST (L-glutamate/L-aspartate transporter) are known to be responsible for the majority of glutamate reuptake from the synaptic cleft and constitute one mechanism by which extracellular glutamate levels may be controlled. The present study therefore compared GLT-1 and GLAST mRNA levels in the genetically absence epilepsy rat from Strasbourg (GAERS) with those of age-matched non-epileptic controls. The GAERS rat has been proposed as an animal model of inherited human absence epilepsy, displaying recurrent, generalised, non-convulsive seizures that originate from thalamic and cortical structures. In situ hybridisation with 35S-labelled oligonucleotide probes demonstrated substantial and significant increases in GLT-1 mRNA levels in the ventromedial nucleus of the thalamus (VM) and the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of GAERS rats. Increases in GLAST mRNA were found in the primary somatosensory cortex (SS1) and temporal cortex (Te) of GAERS. These data, along with previous studies, suggest that regional imbalances in GABAergic and glutamatergic systems may be associated with the pathogenesis of absence seizures in GAERS.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Ingram
- Department of Neurobiology, The Babraham Institute, Babraham, Cambridge, UK
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Abstract
Gabitril (tiagabine) is a potent selective inhibitor of the principal neuronal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter (GAT-1) in the cortex and hippocampus. By slowing the reuptake of synaptically-released GABA, it prolongs inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. In animal models of epilepsy, tiagabine is particularly effective against kindled (limbic) seizures and against reflexly-induced generalized convulsive seizures. These data are predictive of its efficacy in complex partial seizures in humans. Possible clinical applications outside the field of epilepsy include bipolar disorder and pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- B S Meldrum
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London, United Kingdom
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48
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Buckman J, Meshul C. Glial Differences Between Naive Withdrawal Seizure-Prone and -Resistant Mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1999. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1999.tb04090.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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49
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Meldrum BS, Akbar MT, Chapman AG. Glutamate receptors and transporters in genetic and acquired models of epilepsy. Epilepsy Res 1999; 36:189-204. [PMID: 10515165 DOI: 10.1016/s0920-1211(99)00051-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate, the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, acts on three families of ionotropic receptor--AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionic acid), kainate and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors and three families of metabotropic receptor (Group I: mGlu1 and mGlu5; Group II: mGlu2 and mGlu3; Group III: mGlu4, mGlu6, mGlu7 and mGlu8). Glutamate is removed from the synaptic cleft and the extracellular space by Na+-dependent transporters (GLAST/EAAT1, GLT/EAAT2, EAAC/EAAT3, EAAT4, EAAT5). In rodents, genetic manipulations relating to the expression or function of glutamate receptor proteins can induce epilepsy syndromes or raise seizure threshold. Decreased expression of glutamate transporters (EAAC knockdown, GLT knockout) can lead to seizures. In acquired epilepsy syndromes, a wide variety of changes in receptors and transporters have been described. Electrically-induced kindling in the rat is associated with functional potentiation of NMDA receptor-mediated responses at various limbic sites. Group I metabotropic responses are enhanced in the amygdala. To date, no genetic epilepsy in man has been identified in which the primary genetic defect involves glutamate receptors or transporters. Changes are found in some acquired syndromes, including enhanced NMDA receptor responses in dentate granule cells in patients with hippocampal sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- B S Meldrum
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
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50
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French SJ, Humby T, Horner CH, Sofroniew MV, Rattray M. Hippocampal neurotrophin and trk receptor mRNA levels are altered by local administration of nicotine, carbachol and pilocarpine. BRAIN RESEARCH. MOLECULAR BRAIN RESEARCH 1999; 67:124-36. [PMID: 10101239 DOI: 10.1016/s0169-328x(99)00048-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cholinergic receptor agonists nicotine (nicotinic), carbachol (nicotinic/muscarinic) and pilocarpine (muscarinic) were administered into the hippocampus and mRNA levels of neurotrophins and their receptors determined using in situ hybridisation. Drug doses were carefully chosen to avoid the potentially confounding effects of seizure and cell death. Nicotine caused a long-lasting increase in nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNA in all subfields of the hippocampus. The increase was evident from 24 h up to 72 h after drug administration. This increase was dependent on excitatory amino acid neurotransmission as it was blocked by administration of an AMPA or NMDA receptor antagonist. In contrast, carbachol and pilocarpine produced a transient increase in NGF mRNA levels present 4-8 h after drug administration. Pilocarpine caused a transient increase in hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, with carbachol and nicotine showing the same trend. Nicotine and carbachol caused transient decreases in NT-3 mRNA levels in dentate gyrus and CA2 with pilocarpine showing a similar trend. Increases in mRNA encoding full-length trkB were seen 8 h after nicotine, with nicotine also causing elevations in a mRNA encoding a truncated isoform (trkB.T2). TrkC mRNA was not altered by any of the conditions used. The study suggests that muscarinic and nicotinic receptor activation in the hippocampus causes transient changes in all of the neurotrophins, but that NGF levels are selectively up-regulated by nicotinic receptor stimulation. The reciprocal interaction between NGF and ascending cholinergic systems may be a component of the cognitive enhancing effects of nicotine.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J French
- Biochemical Neuropharmacology Group, Neuroscience Research Centre and Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, GKT School of Biomedical Sciences, Guy's Hospital Campus, London SE1 9RT, UK
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