Redistribution of astrocytic glutamine synthetase in the hippocampus of chronic epileptic rats

Glutamine synthetase (GS) is an astrocytic enzyme, which catalyzes the synthesis of glutamine from glutamate and ammonia. In the central nervous system, GS prevents glutamate-dependent excitotoxicity and detoxifies nitrogen. Reduction in both expression and activity of GS was reported in the hippoca...

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Hauptverfasser: Papageorgiou, Ismini E. (VerfasserIn) , Gabriel, Siegrun (VerfasserIn) , Fetani, Andriani F. (VerfasserIn) , Kann, Oliver (VerfasserIn) , Heinemann, Uwe (VerfasserIn)
Dokumenttyp: Article (Journal)
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: 20 July 2011
In: Glia
Year: 2011, Jahrgang: 59, Heft: 11, Pages: 1706-1718
ISSN:1098-1136
DOI:10.1002/glia.21217
Online-Zugang:Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1002/glia.21217
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Verfasserangaben:Ismini E. Papageorgiou, Siegrun Gabriel, Andriani F. Fetani, Oliver Kann, and Uwe Heinemann
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Glutamine synthetase (GS) is an astrocytic enzyme, which catalyzes the synthesis of glutamine from glutamate and ammonia. In the central nervous system, GS prevents glutamate-dependent excitotoxicity and detoxifies nitrogen. Reduction in both expression and activity of GS was reported in the hippocampus of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), and this reduction has been suggested to contribute to epileptogenesis. In this study, we characterized hippocampal GS expression in the pilocarpine model of TLE in Wistar rats by means of stereology and morphometric analysis. Neither the GS positive cell number nor the GS containing cell volume was found to be altered in different hippocampal subregions of chronic epileptic rats when compared with controls. Instead, redistribution of the enzyme at both intracellular and tissue levels was observed in the epileptic hippocampus; GS was expressed more in proximal astrocytic branches, and GS expressing astrocytic somata was located in closer proximity to vascular walls. These effects were not due to shrinkage of astrocytic processes, as revealed by glial fibrillary acidic protein staining. Our results argue for GS redistribution rather than downregulation in the rat pilocarpine model of TLE. The potential contribution of increased GS perivascular affinity to the pathogenesis of epilepsy is discussed as well.
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Beschreibung:Online Resource
ISSN:1098-1136
DOI:10.1002/glia.21217