Electroconvulsive seizure thresholds and kindling acquisition rates are altered in mouse models of human KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 mutations for benign familial neonatal convulsions.

Purpose: Benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) is caused by mutations in the KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 genes, which encode subunits of the M-type potassium channel. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of orthologous BFNC-causing mutations on seizure thresholds and the acquisition of corneal kindling in mice with heterozygous expression of the mutations.

Methods: The effects of the Kcnq2 gene A306T mutation and the Kcnq3 gene G311V mutation were determined for minimal clonic, minimal tonic hindlimb extension, and partial psychomotor seizures.

Mouse models of human KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 mutations for benign familial neonatal convulsions show seizures and neuronal plasticity without synaptic reorganization.

The childhood epilepsy syndrome of benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) exhibits the remarkable feature of clinical remission within a few weeks of onset and a favourable prognosis, sparing cognitive abilities despite persistent expression of the mutant KCNQ2 or KCNQ3 potassium channels throughout adulthood. To better understand such dynamic neuroprotective plasticity within the developing brain, we introduced missense mutations that underlie human BFNC into the orthologous murine Kcnq2 (Kv7.2) and Kcnq3 (Kv7.

Felbamate is a subunit selective modulator of recombinant gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes.

Felbamate (2-phenyl-1,3-propanediol dicarbamate) is clinically available for the treatment of refractory epileptic seizures, and is known to modulate several ion channels including gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA(A)) receptors. To determine felbamate subunit selectivity for GABA(A) receptors we expressed 15 different GABA(A) receptor combinations in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Felbamate positively modulated GABA-currents of alpha(1)beta(2)gamma(2S), alpha(1)beta(3)gamma(2S), alpha(2)beta(2)gamma(2S) and alpha(2)beta(3)gamma(2S), whereas felbamate was either ineffective or negatively modulated the other 11 receptor combinations.

A spontaneous mutation involving Kcnq2 (Kv7.2) reduces M-current density and spike frequency adaptation in mouse CA1 neurons.

The M-type K+ current [IK(M)] activates in response to membrane depolarization and regulates neuronal excitability. Mutations in two subunits (KCNQ2 and KCNQ3; Kv7.2 and Kv7.

The composition of the GABA receptor at the Caenorhabditis elegans neuromuscular junction.

1. The unc-49 gene of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans encodes three gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA(A)) receptor subunits. Two of these, UNC-49B and UNC-49C, are expressed at high abundance and co-localize at the neuromuscular junction.

Mice carrying the szt1 mutation exhibit increased seizure susceptibility and altered sensitivity to compounds acting at the m-channel.

Purpose: Mutations in the genes that encode subunits of the M-type K+ channel (KCNQ2/KCNQ3) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (CHRNA4) cause epilepsy in humans. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Szt1 mutation, which not only deletes most of the C-terminus of mouse Kcnq2, but also renders the Chnra4 and Arfgap-1 genes hemizygous, on seizure susceptibility and sensitivity to drugs that target the M-type K+ channel.

Methods: The proconvulsant effects of the M-channel blocker linopirdine (LPD) and anticonvulsant effects of the M-channel enhancer retigabine (RGB) were assessed by electroconvulsive threshold (ECT) testing in C57BL/6J-Szt1/+ (Szt1) and littermate control C57BL/6J+/+ (B6) mice.

Spontaneous deletion of epilepsy gene orthologs in a mutant mouse with a low electroconvulsive threshold.

The electroconvulsive threshold (ECT) test has been used extensively to determine the protection conferred by antiepileptic drug candidates against induced seizures in rodents. Despite its clinical relevance, the potential of ECT to identify mouse epilepsy models in genetic studies has not been thoroughly assessed. We adopted the ECT test to screen the progeny of ethylnitrosourea treated male C57BL/6J mice.

Effects of the anticonvulsant retigabine on cultured cortical neurons: changes in electroresponsive properties and synaptic transmission.

The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to examine the effects of retigabine, a novel anticonvulsant drug, on the electroresponsive properties of individual neurons as well as on neurotransmission between monosynaptically connected pairs of cultured mouse cortical neurons. Consistent with its known action on potassium channels, retigabine significantly hyperpolarized the resting membrane potentials of the neurons, decreased input resistance, and decreased the number of action potentials generated by direct current injection. In addition, retigabine potentiated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) mediated by activation of gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) (GABA(A)) receptors.