Carbamazepine treatment recovered low N-acetylaspartate+N-acetylaspartylglutamate (tNAA) levels in the megencephaly mouse BALB/cByJ-Kv1.1(mceph/mceph)

Neurobiol Dis. 2007 Apr;26(1):221-8. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2006.12.012. Epub 2006 Dec 29.

Abstract

Megencephaly mice (BALB/cByJ-Kv1.1(mceph/mceph)) display excessive brain growth and seizures related to a mutation within the potassium channel gene Kv1.1 producing a malfunctioning protein. (1)H Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provides means to study brain transmitters and metabolites in vivo. We applied MRS to pinpoint differences in hippocampus between mceph/mceph and wild type (wt) mice. Carbamazepine (CBZ) protects against brain overgrowth in mceph/mceph. Therefore, the effects of durable oral CBZ treatment on the MR spectra were investigated. LCModel was used for spectra quantification and multivariate data analysis applied to detect group differences. mceph/mceph mice had lower levels of N-acetylaspartate+N-acetylaspartylglutamate (tNAA) and choline-containing (tCho) compounds compared to wt mice. Glutamate, glutamine, taurine and myo-inositol levels were similar in wt and mceph/mceph. Furthermore, CBZ treatment recovered tCho and tNAA levels in mceph/mceph. Thus, distinct differences in MRS spectra between mceph/mceph and wt mice were depicted and treatment effects of CBZ were monitored using MRS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / metabolism
  • Anesthesia
  • Animals
  • Aspartic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
  • Aspartic Acid / metabolism
  • Brain / abnormalities*
  • Brain / pathology
  • Carbamazepine / pharmacology*
  • Choline / metabolism
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Dipeptides / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Kv1.1 Potassium Channel / genetics*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Sex Characteristics

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Dipeptides
  • Kv1.1 Potassium Channel
  • isospaglumic acid
  • Aspartic Acid
  • Carbamazepine
  • N-acetylaspartate
  • Choline