These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Conditional downregulation of brain- derived neurotrophic factor and tyrosine kinase receptor B blocks epileptogenesis in the human temporal lobe epilepsy hippocampus.
    Author: Hou X, Wang X, Zhang L.
    Journal: Neurol India; 2010; 58(1):29-34. PubMed ID: 20228460.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated as a potential therapeutic target in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). However, whether BDNF exerts an epileptogenic or antiepileptogenic function remains controversial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BDNF/tyrosine kinase receptor B (trkB) expression levels were comparatively assessed in the hippocampal tissue of TLE patients with (HS group) and without hippocampal sclerosis (non-HS group) as well as from non-epileptic controls. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry and immunoblot analysis revealed a marked increase in BDNF/trkB expression in the dentate gyrus and CA3 regions of HS and non-HS groups. The lack of any differences in expression levels was observed between HS and non-HS patients. Meanwhile, treatment with VPA (Valproic acid, anti-epileptic drug) resulted in a significant down-regulation of BDNF/trkB protein expression in sclerotic and non-sclerotic hippocampus (P < 0.001). In contrast, no marked change was noticed in VPA-untreated and OA-treated groups (sodium octanoate). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the up-regulation of BDNF/trkB pathway might be at least in part responsible for the epileptogenesis.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]