Levetiracetam mediates subtle pH-shifts in adult human neocortical pyramidal cells via an inhibition of the bicarbonate-driven neuronal pH-regulation - Implications for excitability and plasticity modulation.

The intracellular pH (pHi) of mammalian central neurons is tightly regulated and small pHi-fluctuations can fine-tune inter-/intracellular signaling, excitability, and synaptic plasticity. The research-gap about the pHi-regulation of human brain neurons is addressed here by testing possible influences of the anticonvulsant levetiracetam (LEV). BCECF-AM-loaded neocortical pyramidal cells were fluorometrically investigated in slice-preparations of tissue resected from the middle temporal gyrus of five adults with intractable temporal-lobe epilepsy.

Aging is associated with a mild acidification in neocortical human neurons in vitro.

The intracellular pH (pHi) in the cytosol of mammalian central neurons is tightly regulated and small pHi-fluctuations are deemed to modulate inter-/intracellular signaling, excitability, and synaptic plasticity. The resting pHi of young rodent hippocampal pyramidal neurons is known to decrease alongside aging for about 0.1 pH-units.

Small intraneuronal acidification via short-chain monocarboxylates: First evidence of an inhibitory action on over-excited human neocortical neurons.

Aims: In cortical mammalian neurons, small fluctuations of intracellular pH (pHi) play a crucial role for inter- and intracellular signaling as well as for cellular and synaptic plasticity. Yet, there have been no respective data about humans. Thus, we investigated the interrelation of pHi and excitability of human cortical neurons.

Modulatory effects of neuropsychopharmaca on intracellular pH of hippocampal neurones in vitro.

Background And Purpose: The intracellular pH (pHi) of neurones is tightly regulated by, for example, membrane-bound acid-exchangers and loaders. Nevertheless, excessive bioelectric activity lowers steady-state pHi. In turn, even a moderate acidification can inhibit neuronal activity, a process believed to be part of a negative feedback loop controlling neuronal excitation.

The NHE3 inhibitor AVE1599 stimulates phrenic nerve activity in the rat.

The effect of AVE1599, an inhibitor of the sodium/proton exchanger type 3 (NHE3), on phrenic nerve (PN) activity was investigated using the working heart brainstem preparation (WHBP). Hypercapnia (Delta pH: -0.1) applied for 10 min reversibly increased PN frequency (f) by 66.