A role for intracellular zinc in glioma alteration of neuronal chloride equilibrium

Cell Death Dis. 2014 Oct 30;5(10):e1501. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2014.437.

Abstract

Glioma patients commonly suffer from epileptic seizures. However, the mechanisms of glioma-associated epilepsy are far to be completely understood. Using glioma-neurons co-cultures, we found that tumor cells are able to deeply influence neuronal chloride homeostasis, by depolarizing the reversal potential of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-evoked currents (EGABA). EGABA depolarizing shift is due to zinc-dependent reduction of neuronal KCC2 activity and requires glutamate release from glioma cells. Consistently, intracellular zinc loading rapidly depolarizes EGABA in mouse hippocampal neurons, through the Src/Trk pathway and this effect is promptly reverted upon zinc chelation. This study provides a possible molecular mechanism linking glioma invasion to excitation/inhibition imbalance and epileptic seizures, through the zinc-mediated disruption of neuronal chloride homeostasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Chlorides / metabolism*
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Female
  • Glioma / metabolism*
  • Glutamates / metabolism
  • Hippocampus / pathology
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Space / metabolism*
  • K Cl- Cotransporters
  • Male
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Models, Biological
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Receptor, trkB / metabolism
  • Symporters / metabolism
  • Zinc / metabolism*
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism
  • src-Family Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Chlorides
  • Glutamates
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Symporters
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
  • Receptor, trkB
  • src-Family Kinases
  • Zinc