Hyperexcitability and cell loss in kainate-treated hippocampal slice cultures

Neuroreport. 1993 Oct 25;5(1):90-2. doi: 10.1097/00001756-199310000-00025.

Abstract

Loss of hippocampal interneurons has been reported in patients with severe temporal lobe epilepsy and in animals treated with kainate. We investigated the relationship between KA induced epileptiform discharge and loss of interneurons in hippocampal slice cultures. Application of KA (1 microM) produced reversible epileptiform discharge without neurotoxicity. KA (5 microM), in contrast, produced irreversible epileptiform discharge and neurotoxicity, suggesting that the irreversible epileptiform discharge was required for the neuronal loss. Loss of CA3 pyramidal cells and parvalbumin-like immunoreactive (PV-I) interneurons preceded loss of somatostatin-like immunoreactive (SS-I) interneurons suggesting a different time course of KA neurotoxicity in these subpopulations of interneurons.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Epilepsy / chemically induced
  • Epilepsy / physiopathology
  • Evoked Potentials / drug effects
  • Hippocampus / drug effects
  • Hippocampus / pathology
  • Hippocampus / physiology*
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Interneurons / drug effects
  • Interneurons / pathology
  • Interneurons / physiology*
  • Kainic Acid / toxicity*
  • Nerve Fibers / physiology
  • Organ Culture Techniques
  • Parvalbumins / analysis
  • Parvalbumins / metabolism
  • Pyramidal Cells / drug effects
  • Pyramidal Cells / pathology
  • Pyramidal Cells / physiology
  • Somatostatin / analysis
  • Somatostatin / metabolism
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Parvalbumins
  • Somatostatin
  • Kainic Acid