Plasma Exosomal MiRNAs Expression Profile in Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy With Hippocampal Sclerosis: Case-Control Study and Analysis of Potential Functions.

Background: To explore an expression profile in plasma exosomal miRNAs of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (mTLE + HS) patients and investigate the associated clinical significance and putative pathways involved.

Methods: Plasma exosomal miRNAs were measured in six mTLE + HS patients who were confirmed with pre-surgical stereo-electroencephalography and six without hippocampal sclerosis (mTLE-HS) using Illumina HiSeq 2500. Then six dysregulated miRNAs were chosen for validation in an independent sample of 18 mTLE + HS patients and 18 mTLE-HS controls using RT-qPCR.

GABA Receptor Activity Suppresses the Transition from Inter-ictal to Ictal Epileptiform Discharges in Juvenile Mouse Hippocampus.

Exploring the transition from inter-ictal to ictal epileptiform discharges (IDs) and how GABA receptor-mediated action affects the onset of IDs will enrich our understanding of epileptogenesis and epilepsy treatment. We used Mg-free artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) to induce epileptiform discharges in juvenile mouse hippocampal slices and used a micro-electrode array to record the discharges. After the slices were exposed to Mg-free ACSF for 10 min-20 min, synchronous recurrent seizure-like events were recorded across the slices, and each event evolved from inter-ictal epileptiform discharges (IIDs) to pre-ictal epileptiform discharges (PIDs), and then to IDs.

Silencing rno-miR-155-5p in rat temporal lobe epilepsy model reduces pathophysiological features and cell apoptosis by activating Sestrin-3.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a chronic neurological disease characterized by recurrent spontaneous seizures. MicroRNAs are dysregulated in various pathological conditions including epilepsy. Therefore, we hypothesized that the dysregulation of these microRNAs might also be associated with the pathogenesis of TLE.

The Subiculum: A Potential Site of Ictogenesis in a Neonatal Seizure Model.

Studies have reported that the subiculum is one origin of interictal-like discharges in adult patients with temporal lobe epilepsy; however, whether the subiculum represents a site of ictogenesis for neonatal seizures remains unclear. In this study, multi-electrode recording techniques were used to record epileptiform discharges induced by low-Mg or high-K artificial cerebrospinal fluid in neonatal mouse hippocampal slices, and the spatiotemporal dynamics of the epileptiform discharges were analyzed. The Na-K-2Cl cotransporter 1 (NKCC1) blocker, bumetanide, was applied to test its effect upon epileptiform discharges in low-Mg model.

Interaction between Thalamus and Hippocampus in Termination of Amygdala-Kindled Seizures in Mice.

The thalamus and hippocampus have been found both involved in the initiation, propagation, and termination of temporal lobe epilepsy. However, the interaction of these regions during seizures is not clear. The present study is to explore whether some regular patterns exist in their interaction during the termination of seizures.

The Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Phase Synchronization during Epileptogenesis in Amygdala-Kindling Mice.

The synchronization among the activities of neural populations in functional regions is one of the most important electrophysiological phenomena in epileptic brains. The spatiotemporal dynamics of phase synchronization was investigated to reveal the reciprocal interaction between different functional regions during epileptogenesis. Local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded simultaneously from the basolateral amygdala (BLA), the cornu ammonis 1 of hippocampus (CA1) and the mediodorsal nucleus of thalamus (MDT) in the mouse amygdala-kindling models during the development of epileptic seizures.

Involvement of thalamus in initiation of epileptic seizures induced by pilocarpine in mice.

Studies have suggested that thalamus is involved in temporal lobe epilepsy, but the role of thalamus is still unclear. We obtained local filed potentials (LFPs) and single-unit activities from CA1 of hippocampus and parafascicular nucleus of thalamus during the development of epileptic seizures induced by pilocarpine in mice. Two measures, redundancy and directionality index, were used to analyze the electrophysiological characters of neuronal activities and the information flow between thalamus and hippocampus.

Effect of the entorhinal cortex on ictal discharges in low-Mg²⁺-induced epileptic hippocampal slice models.

The hippocampus plays an important role in the genesis of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, and the entorhinal cortex (EC) may affect the hippocampal network activity because of the heavy interconnection between them. However, the mechanism by which the EC affects the discharge patterns and the transmission mode of epileptiform discharges within the hippocampus needs further study. Here, multielectrode recording techniques were used to study the spatiotemporal characteristics of epileptiform discharges in adult mouse hippocampal slices and combined EC-hippocampal slices and determine whether and how the EC affects the hippocampal neuron discharge patterns.

Effective connectivity of hippocampal neural network and its alteration in Mg2+-free epilepsy model.

Understanding the connectivity of the brain neural network and its evolution in epileptiform discharges is meaningful in the epilepsy researches and treatments. In the present study, epileptiform discharges were induced in rat hippocampal slices perfused with Mg2+-free artificial cerebrospinal fluid. The effective connectivity of the hippocampal neural network was studied by comparing the normal and epileptiform discharges recorded by a microelectrode array.

The role of the entorhinal cortex in epileptiform activities of the hippocampus.

Background: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the commonest type of epilepsy in adults, and the hippocampus is indicated to have a close relationship with TLE. Recent researches also indicate that the entorhinal cortex (EC) is involved in epilepsy. To explore the essential role that the EC may play in epilepsy, a computational model of the hippocampal CA3 region was built, which consisted of pyramidal cells and two types of interneurons.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of high-K+-induced epileptiform discharges in hippocampal slice and the effects of valproate.

The epileptic seizure is a dynamic process involving a rapid transition from normal activity to a state of hypersynchronous neuronal discharges. Here we investigated the network properties of epileptiform discharges in hippocampal slices in the presence of high K(+) concentration (8.5 mmol/L) in the bath, and the effects of the anti-epileptic drug valproate (VPA) on epileptiform discharges, using a microelectrode array.

[Effect of acute stress stimulation on the seizure induction in epileptic model rats].

This study was undertaken to observe the effect of acute stress on seizure occurrence in chronic period of epileptic model rats. Lithium-pilocarpine (LiCl-PILO)-induced epileptic rat model was constructed. At the spontaneous recurrent seizure period, acute stress stimulations such as cat's urine and foot electrical shock were applied to observe the behavioral changes and seizure occurrence.

Study on hippocampal volume with quantitative 3T magnetic resonance imaging in Chinese patients with epilepsy.

Background: It was still rare for the quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research of regional changes in hippocampus sclerosis (HS) in Chinese patients with epilepsy. This study aimed to study the hippocampal volumes (HVs) with quantitative MRI measurement in Chinese patients with epilepsy.

Methods: Forty-six Chinese patients with epilepsy (intractable epilepsy (IE), n = 21; non-intractable epilepsy (NIE), n = 25) and 25 normal controls were collected between July 2007 and March 2008.

Predictors of outcome in the surgical treatment for epilepsy.

Background: Knowledge about factors influencing the prognosis of resective epilepsy surgery can be used to identify which patients are most suitable for surgical treatment. The aim of this study was to identify preoperative prognostic factors associated with the chance of achieving long-term seizure freedom.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed seizure outcomes and clinical, electroencephalography (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histopathology, and surgical variables from 99 epilepsy surgery patients with at least one year of postoperative follow-up.

[Exploring spatiotemporal patterns of epileptiform discharge in hippocampal slice using multi-electrode arrays].

To investigate the spatiotemporal properties of epileptiform activity in vitro, 400 microm-thick transverse hippocampal slices were prepared from juvenile rat and planar multi-electrode array (MEA) containing 60 electrodes was used to record the electrical activity induced by bath application of high potassium artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) on slices. Following successful induction of epileptiform bursts, phenobarbital sodium was applied to test for its inhibitory effects on bursting activity in different regions of slice. Region-specific characteristics of epileptiform activity and anticonvulsant actions of phenobarbital sodium in the hippocampal network were determined by comparing the population activity obtained from MEA.

Time-dependent changes in learning ability and induction of long-term potentiation in the lithium-pilocarpine-induced epileptic mouse model.

To explore the mechanism underlying the development of learning deficits in patients with epilepsy, we generated a mouse model for temporal lobe epilepsy by intraperitoneally injecting mice with pilocarpine with lithium chloride, and investigated time-dependent changes in both contextual fear memory of those model mice and long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampal CA1 neurons 1 day, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks after the onset of status epilepticus (SE). Fear memory formation did not change 1 day and 2 weeks after the onset of SE, but was significantly reduced after 6 weeks. Induction of LTP was enhanced 1 day after the onset of SE, but returned to the normal level 2 weeks later, and was almost completely attenuated after 6 weeks.

Effect of cholecystokinin on experimental neuronal aging.

Aim: To observe the effect of cholecystokinin (CCK) on lipofusin value, neuronal dendrite and spine ultrastructure, and total cellular protein during the process of experimental neuronal aging.

Methods: Experimental neuronal aging study model was established by NBA2 cellular serum-free culture method. By using single intracellular lipofusin value from microspectrophotometry, morphology of neuronal dendrites and spines from the scanner electron microscopy, and total cellular protein as the indexes of experimental neuronal aging, we observed the effect of CCK8 on the process of experimental neuronal aging.