[18F]DPA-714: Effect of co-medications, age, sex, BMI and TSPO polymorphism on the human plasma input function.

PURPOSE: We aimed to assess the effect of concomitant medication, age, sex, body mass index and 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) binding affinity status on the metabolism and plasma pharmacokinetics of [18F]DPA-714 and their influence on the plasma input function in a large cohort of 201 subjects who underwent brain and whole-body PET imaging to investigate the role of neuroinflammation in neurological diseases. METHODS: The non-metabolized fraction of [18F]DPA-714 was estimated in venous plasma of 138 patients and 63 healthy controls (HCs; including additional arterial sampling in 16 subjects) during the 90 min brain PET acquisition using a direct solid-phase extraction method. The mean fraction between 70 and 90 min post-injection ([18F]DPA-71470-90) and corresponding normalized plasma concentration (SUV70-90) were correlated with all factors using a multiple linear regression model. Differences between groups (arterial vs venous measurements; HCs vs patients; high- (HAB), mixed- (MAB) and low-affinity binders (LAB); subjects with vs without co-medications, females vs males were also assessed using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA tests. Finally, the impact of co-medications on the brain uptake of [18F]DPA-714 at equilibrium was investigated. RESULTS: As no significant differences were observed between arterial and venous [18F]DPA-71470-90 and SUV70-90, venous plasma was used for correlations. [18F]DPA-71470-90 was not significantly different between patients and HCS (59.7 ± 12.3% vs 60.2 ± 12.9%) despite high interindividual variability. However, 47 subjects exhibiting a huge increase or decrease of [18F]DPA-71470-90 (up to 88% or down to 23%) and SUV70-90 values (2-threefold) were found to receive co-medications identified as inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A4, known to catalyse [18F]DPA-714 metabolism. Comparison between cortex-to-plasma ratios using individual input function (VTIND) or population-based input function derived from untreated HCs (VTPBIF) indicated that non-considering the individual metabolism rate led to a bias of about 30% in VT values. Multiple linear regression model analysis of subjects free of these co-medications suggested significant correlations between [18F]DPA-71470-90 and age, BMI and sex while TSPO polymorphism did not influence the metabolism of the radiotracer. [18F]DPA-714 metabolism fell with age and BMI and was significantly faster in females than in males. Whole-body PET/CT exhibited a high uptake of the tracer in TSPO-rich organs (heart wall, spleen, kidneys…) and those involved in metabolism and excretion pathways (liver, gallbladder) in HAB and MAB with a strong decrease in LAB (-89% and -85%) resulting in tracer accumulation in plasma (4.5 and 3.3-fold increase). CONCLUSION: Any co-medication that inhibits or induces CYP3A4 as well as TSPO genetic status, age, BMI and sex mostly contribute to interindividual variations of the radiotracer metabolism and/or concentration that may affect the input function of [18F]DPA-714 and consequently its human brain and peripheral uptake. TRIAL REGISTRATION: INFLAPARK, NCT02319382, registered December 18, 2014, retrospectively registered; IMABIO 3, NCT01775696, registered January 25, 2013, retrospectively registered; INFLASEP, NCT02305264, registered December 2, 2014, retrospectively registered; EPI-TEP, EudraCT 2017-003381-27, registered September 24, 2018.

Systematic prolonged video-electroencephalograms identify electrographic seizures in 5% of acute stroke patients with aphasia.

In stroke units, diagnosing seizures may be difficult, especially in aphasic patients. We discuss herein our systematic 4-hour video EEG monitoring of 61 patients with aphasia within the first 72hours after the onset of ischaemic stroke. Five electrographic seizures were identified in 3 patients, with no clinical signs apparent on the video and no symptoms reported by patients. We did not record status epilepticus nor generalized seizure. Comparative analyses disclosed a higher risk of early seizures in patients with haemorrhagic transformation. Video EEG monitoring detected electrographic seizures in 5% of stroke patients with aphasia. This monitoring could be useful for selected patients, especially those with haemorrhagic transformation.

Ictal speech and language dysfunction in adult epilepsy: Clinical study of 95 seizures.

PURPOSE: To analyze the semiological characteristics of the language and speech disorders arising during epileptic seizures, and to describe the patterns of language and speech disorders that can predict laterality of the epileptic focus. METHOD: This study retrospectively analyzed 95 consecutive videos of seizures with language and/or speech disorders in 44 patients admitted for diagnostic video-EEG monitoring. Laterality of the epileptic focus was defined according to electro-clinical correlation studies and structural and functional neuroimaging findings. Language and speech disorders were analyzed by a neurologist and a speech therapist blinded to these data. RESULTS: Language and/or speech disorders were subdivided into eight dynamic patterns: pure anterior aphasia; anterior aphasia and vocal; anterior aphasia and "arthria"; pure posterior aphasia; posterior aphasia and vocal; pure vocal; vocal and arthria; and pure arthria. The epileptic focus was in the left hemisphere in more than 4/5 of seizures presenting with pure anterior aphasia or pure posterior aphasia patterns, while discharges originated in the right hemisphere in almost 2/3 of seizures presenting with a pure vocal pattern. No laterality value was found for the other patterns. CONCLUSION: Classification of the language and speech disorders arising during epileptic seizures into dynamic patterns may be useful for the optimal analysis of anatomo-electro-clinical correlations. In addition, our research has led to the development of standardized tests for analyses of language and speech disorders arising during seizures that can be conducted during video-EEG sessions.

Vasogenic oedema during stereoelectroencephalography: intracranial pattern and late-onset clinical repercussion.

In patients suffering from focal drug-resistant epilepsy, intracranial explorations are the gold standard for identifying the epileptogenic zone and evaluating the possibility of a surgical resection. Amongst them, stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG), using depth electrodes, is a safe procedure. However, complications occur on average in 2% of cases, notably haemorrhages or infections. Vasogenic cerebral oedema constitutes a rarely reported complication. Amongst the 85 patients explored with SEEG between January 2017 and September 2023, three had a clinically and electrophysiologically relevant vasogenic cerebral oedema. In these three patients, the surgical procedure was uneventful. In all three as well, electrodes exploring areas away from the epileptogenic zone recorded some unexpected focal delta slowing with clinically asymptomatic superimposed discharges, a pattern so far only reported in cases of bleeding. Moreover, one patient experienced confusion 10 days after explantation. Post-explantation magnetic resonance imaging showed, in all three patients, a vasogenic oedema that fully resolved a few months later. We did not identify any contributing factors, and there were no particularities concerning the number of electrodes, their implantation site or the recording duration. Focal delta slowing and rhythmic discharges during SEEG can indicate a vasogenic oedema. Clinical consequences can occur after explantation. Evolution is favourable but this misleading pattern must be identified.

Neurodegenerative and morphogenic changes in a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy do not depend on the expression of the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin, calbindin, or calretinin.

The functional role of the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin, calretinin, and calbindin D-28k for epileptogenesis and long-term seizure-related alterations of the hippocampal formation was assessed in single- and double-knockout mice, using a kainate model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. The effects of a unilateral intrahippocampal injection of kainic acid were assessed at one day, 30 days, and four months post-injection, using various markers of GABAergic interneurons (GABA-transporter type 1, GABA(A)-receptor alpha1 subunit, calretinin, calbindin D-28k, somatostatin, and neuropeptide Y). Parvalbumin-deficient, parvalbumin/calbindin-deficient, and parvalbumin/calretinin-deficient mice exhibited no difference in cytoarchitecture of the hippocampal formation and in the number, distribution, or morphology of interneurons compared to wild-type mice. Likewise, mutant mice were not more vulnerable to acute kainate-induced excitotoxicity or to long-term effects of recurrent focal seizures, and exhibited the same pattern of neurochemical alterations (e.g., bilateral induction of neuropeptide Y in granule cells) and morphogenic changes (enlargement and dispersion of dentate gyrus granule cells) as wild-type animals. Quantification of interneurons revealed no significant difference in neuronal vulnerability among the genotypes.These results indicate that the calcium-binding proteins investigated here are not essential for determining the neurochemical phenotype of interneurons. Furthermore, they are not protective against kainate-induced excitotoxicity in this model, and do not appear to modulate the overall level of excitability of the hippocampus. Finally, seizure-induced changes in gene expression in granule cells, which normally express high levels of calcium-binding proteins, apparently were not affected by the gene deletions analysed.

Evolution of hippocampal epileptic activity during the development of hippocampal sclerosis in a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Unilateral intrahippocampal injection of kainic acid in adult mice reproduces most of the morphological characteristics of hippocampal sclerosis (neuronal loss, gliosis, reorganization of neurotransmitter receptors, mossy fiber sprouting, granule cell dispersion) observed in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Whereas some neuronal loss is observed immediately after the initial status epilepticus induced by kainate treatment, most reorganization processes develop progressively over a period of several weeks. The aim of this study was to characterize the evolution of seizure activity in this model and to assess its pharmacological reactivity to classical antiepileptic drugs. Intrahippocampal electroencephalographic recordings showed three distinct phases of paroxystic activity following unilateral injection of kainic acid (1 nmol in 50 nl) into the dorsal hippocampus of adult mice: (i) a non-convulsive status epilepticus, (ii) a latent phase lasting approximately 2 weeks, during which no organized activity was recorded, and (iii) a phase of chronic seizure activity with recurrent hippocampal paroxysmal discharges characterized by high amplitude sharp wave onset. These recurrent seizures were first seen about 2 weeks post-injection. They were limited to the injected area and were not observed in the cerebral cortex, contralateral hippocampus or ipsilateral amygdala. Secondary propagation to the contralateral hippocampus and to the cerebral cortex was rare. In addition hippocampal paroxysmal discharges were not responsive to acute carbamazepine, phenytoin, or valproate treatment, but could be suppressed by diazepam. Our data further validate intrahippocampal injection of kainate in mice as a model of temporal lobe epilepsy and suggest that synaptic reorganization in the lesioned hippocampus is necessary for the development of organized recurrent seizures.

Recurrent seizures and hippocampal sclerosis following intrahippocampal kainate injection in adult mice: electroencephalography, histopathology and synaptic reorganization similar to mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Human mesial temporal lobe epilepsy is characterized by hippocampal seizures associated with pyramidal cell loss in the hippocampus and dispersion of dentate gyrus granule cells. A similar histological pattern was recently described in a model of extensive neuroplasticity in adult mice after injection of kainate into the dorsal hippocampus [Suzuki et al. (1995) Neuroscience 64, 665-674]. The aim of the present study was to determine whether (i) recurrent seizures develop in mice after intrahippocampal injection of kainate, and (ii) the electroencephalographic, histopathological and behavioural changes in such mice are similar to those in human mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Adult mice receiving a unilateral injection of kainate (0.2 microg; 50 nl) or saline into the dorsal hippocampus displayed recurrent paroxysmal discharges on the electroencephalographic recordings associated with immobility, staring and, occasionally, clonic components. These seizures started immediately after kainate injection and recurrid for up to eight months. Epileptiform activities occurred most often during sleep but occasionally while awake. The pattern of seizures did not change over time nor did they secondarily generalize. Glucose metabolic changes assessed by [14C]2-deoxyglucose autoradiography were restricted to the ipsilateral hippocampus for 30 days, but had spread to the thalamus by 120 days after kainate. Ipsilateral cell loss was prominent in hippocampal pyramidal cells and hilar neurons. An unusual pattern of progressive enlargement of the dentate gyrus was observed with a marked radial dispersion of the granule cells associated with reactive astrocytes. Mossy fibre sprouting occurred both in the supragranular molecular layer and infrapyramidal stratum oriens layer of CA3. The expression of the embryonic form of the neural cell adhesion molecule coincided over time with granule cell dispersion. Our data describe the first histological, electrophysiological and behavioural evidence suggesting that discrete excitotoxic lesions of the hippocampus in mice can be used as an isomorphic model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

GABAergic neurons and GABA(A)-receptors in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is the most prevalent form of epilepsy, characterized by recurrent complex partial seizures and hippocampal sclerosis. The pathophysiology underlying this disorder remains unidentified. While a loss of benzodiazepine binding sites is a key diagnostic feature of MTLE, experimental studies have shown enhanced inhibitory transmission and increased expression of GABA(A)-receptors, suggesting that compensatory mechanisms are operative in epileptic hippocampus. In the present study, changes in the expression and cellular distribution of major GABA(A)-receptor subunits were investigated in the hippocampus of pilocarpine-treated rats during the phase of spontaneous recurrent seizures. A uniform decrease in GABA(A)-receptor subunit-immunoreactivity was observed in regions of extensive neuronal death (i.e. CA1, CA3, hilus). whereas a prominent increase occurred in the dentate gyrus (DG). Most strikingly, the increase was largest for the alpha3- and alpha5-subunits, which are expressed at very low levels in the DG of control rats, suggesting the formation of novel GABA(A)-receptor subtypes in epileptic tissue. Furthermore, an extensive loss of interneurons expressing the alpha1-subunit, representing presumptive basket cells, was seen in the DG. These changes were very similar to those reported in a novel mouse model of MTLE, based on the unilateral injection of kainic acid into the dorsal hippocampus (Bouilleret et al., 1999). This indicates that the regulation of GABA(A)-receptor expression is related to chronic recurrent seizures, and is not due to the extrahippocampal neuronal damage affecting pilocarpine-treated rats. These results allow causal relationships in the induction and maintenance of chronic recurrent seizures to be distinguished. The loss of a critical number of interneurons in the DG is a possible cause of seizure initiation, whereas the long-lasting upregulation of GABA(A)-receptors in granule cells represents a compensatory response to seizure activity.

Mapping of the progressive metabolic changes occurring during the development of hippocampal sclerosis in a model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

We have recently characterized the histopathological changes in an experimental model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) induced by the intrahippocampal injection of low dose of kainate in mice. Although cerebral metabolism and blood flow are extensively studied and used in human MTLE to locate the regions involved in seizures before surgery, this exploration is only performed once the disease has fully developed. Therefore, in the present study, we followed the temporal evolution of intrahippocampal kainate-induced metabolic changes in mice from kainate injection to 120 days later by the quantitative autoradiographic [14C]2-deoxyglucose (2DG) technique. At day 0 (late phase of status epilepticus (SE)) and 15 days after kainate, i.e., during the period of ongoing neuropathological changes, glucose utilization was decreased bilaterally in all parts of the cerebral cortex, and ipsilaterally in the thalamus. In the hippocampus, CA1 metabolic activity was depressed at day 0 and increased at day 15 while CA3 glucose utilization was increased at both day 0 and 15. By day 30, there were almost no pyramidal cells left in the two hippocampal regions. At day 120, ipsilateral decreases persisted in the entorhinal cortex, anterior and ventromedian thalamus, and metabolic increases were recorded bilaterally in the central amygdala, anterior hypothalamus and mamillary body. At all times after kainate, a normo-, hypo- or hypermetabolic level was recorded in the dentate gyrus. The present study shows that the process of hippocampal sclerosis involves bilateral cortical reactivity and the participation of some limbic forebrain and motor structures. When hippocampal sclerosis has fully developed, hypometabolism is limited to regions directly connected to the damaged hippocampus and most likely involved in the new hyperexcitable circuit of limbic seizures.

Diffusion tensor changes in epileptogenic hippocampus of TLE patients.

PURPOSE: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can provide quantitative information of brain abnormalities in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) that are not detectable with conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: Seventeen patients with medically TLE were selected for the study. The patients and ten healthy subjects underwent 25 directions DTI acquisition. The patients were separated into two groups based on the MRI findings: eight TLE MRI-negative patients with no signal abnormalities on conventional MRI and nine TLE patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HS). Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and the three diffusivities (lambda(1), lambda(2) and lambda(3)) were measured in bilateral hippocampi of controls, MRI-negative, and HS patients. Comparisons between the three groups were performed for hippocampi ipsi- and contralateral to epileptogenic zone. RESULTS: The ipsilateral hippocampus of MRI-negative patients presented statistical increased anisotropy and no significant difference in diffusivities versus controls. Significant differences in anisotropy and diffusivities were detected between the ipsilateral hippocampus of HS when compared with controls. CONCLUSION: DTI depicted hippocampal abnormalities in TLE patients with a normal conventional MRI different from those found in patients with HS. Diffusivity and anisotropy indices provide significant differences inside hippocampus and should be jointly considered to improve the DTI measurements specificity in TLE patients.

Basal ganglia involvement in temporal lobe epilepsy: a functional and morphologic study.

OBJECTIVES: A decrease of [(18)F]fluoro-l-dopa uptake in basal ganglia was recently reported in medically refractory epilepsy. The purpose of this study was to assess the involvement of dopaminergic neurotransmission in refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and its relationship to glucose metabolism and morphologic changes. METHODS: Twelve TLE patients were studied using [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose PET, [(18)F]fluoro-l-dopa PET, and MRI and compared with healthy control volunteers. Morphologic cerebral changes were assessed using voxel-based morphometry. Student t test statistical maps of functional and morphologic differences between patients and controls were obtained using a general linear model. RESULTS: In TLE patients, [(18)F]fluoro-l-dopa uptake was reduced to the same extent in caudate and putamen in both cerebral hemispheres as well as in the substantia nigra (SN). These dopaminergic functional alterations occurred without any glucose metabolism changes in these areas. The only mild morphologic abnormality was found in striatal regions without any changes in the SN. CONCLUSION: The present study provides support for dopaminergic neurotransmission involvement in temporal lobe epilepsy. The discrepancies between gray matter volume atrophy and the pattern of [(18)F]fluoro-l-dopa suggest that basal ganglia involvement is not related to structural subcortical abnormalities. A functional decrease can be ruled out because there was no change of the glycolytic pathway metabolism in these areas.

Dystonic posturing in seizures of mesial temporal origin: electroclinical and metabolic patterns.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that extratemporal neuronal networks are involved in dystonic posturing (DP) observed in mesial temporal epilepsy (MTLE). METHODS: The authors analyzed electroclinical findings in 36 patients with MTLE with or without DP. Three DP types were defined (types I, II, III) corresponding to a gradual increase in duration and complexity. Interictal [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-PET in different groups and subgroups was compared with control subjects using statistical parametric mapping software (SPM99). RESULTS: DP was found in 20 patients (55%), contralateral to the epileptogenic focus in 95%. Patients with DP had longer seizure duration, higher frequency of head deviation, salivation, motor manifestations, secondary generalization, severe clouding of consciousness, and prolonged postictal confusion when compared with patients without DP. Ictal discharge patterns during DP consisted of fast rhythmic activity spreading to frontal or suprasylvian areas, whereas slow rhythmic activity restricted to the temporal areas occurred in the absence of DP. In patients with DP, widespread temporal and extratemporal hypometabolism including the putamen was found. Hypometabolism was restricted to the anteromesial part of the temporal lobe and anterior insula in patients without DP. Putaminal hypometabolism was found in all DP types, but different extratemporal cortical involvements were found in DP subgroups: insula and inferior frontal gyrus in type I, inferior and superior frontal gyri and anterior cingulate gyrus in type II, and parietal areas in type III. CONCLUSION: Dystonic posturing may result from involvement of both putaminal and extratemporal cortical areas. Moreover, different frontal or parietal networks may be involved according to the duration or complexity of dystonic posturing.

Magnetic resonance imaging follow-up of progressive hippocampal changes in a mouse model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

PURPOSE: Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is the most frequent lesion found in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE). MR imaging is considered to be the most sensitive and specific method to detect HS. Despite extensive studies performed on humans and except in a recent study, the morphologic pattern of HS is usually analyzed when the disease has already fully developed, thus not allowing any insight into the mapping of the progressive morphologic changes inducing the development of mTLE. We have recently characterized a model of mTLE that reproduces the unilateral pattern of HS, induced by intrahippocampal injection of low doses of kainate (KA) in mice. METHODS: In this study, we monitored the temporal evolution of the development of HS in this model of mTLE by using T2-weighted sequence, T2-relaxation time measurements, and T1-weighted spin-echo technique after injection of gadolinium, from 1 h to 120 days after KA injection. RESULTS: HS induced by intrahippocampal KA injection occurred in two phases. First, we observed a transient hyperintense T2-weighted signal in the cortex above the injected hippocampus, most likely indicative of vasogenic edema partly due to the neurotoxic effect of KA. The concomitant increase in the T2 signal in the injected hippocampus and ipsilateral amygdala likely reflects the phase of cytotoxic edema occurring probably in relation to the excitotoxic consequences of both KA and seizure activity. Second, from 15 days on, a persistent unilateral increased T2 signal was detected in the hippocampus, which most probably reflects gliosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that longitudinal follow-up would permit a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the constitution of HS in humans and eventually development of prevention strategies.

Functional anatomy of the insula: new insights from imaging.

Little is known about the functional anatomy of the insula. Several experimental data suggest that the organization of the insular connections from the different insular cytoarchitectonic regions is related to different functional domains within the insula, and recent electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies have shown the existence of an anterior-posterior organization within the insular cortex. To further investigate this point, we carried out a positron emission tomography (PET) study using fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) in patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy who experienced emotional or visceral symptoms that are supposed to be elicited in the insula. The aim of our study was to assess the existence of a functional insular somatotopic organization. FDG-PET studies were carried out in 18 epileptic patients. Data were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping (SPM96). The results showed that the emotional symptoms were correlated with hypometabolism in the anterior part of the ipsilateral insular cortex, while visceral symptoms were correlated with hypometabolism in the posterior part ( p=0.001). This neuroimaging study demonstrates that the anterior part of the insular cortex corresponding to the agranular cortex subserves emotional functions while the posterior part of the insular cortex corresponding to the granular cortex subserves ascending visceral symptoms.

Early loss of interneurons and delayed subunit-specific changes in GABA(A)-receptor expression in a mouse model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Unilateral injection of kainic acid (KA) into the dorsal hippocampus of adult mice induces spontaneous recurrent partial seizures and replicates histopathological changes observed in human mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) (Bouilleret V et al., Neuroscience 1999; 89:717-729). Alterations in pre- and postsynaptic components of GABAergic neurotransmission were investigated immunohistochemically at different time points (1-120 days) in this mouse model of MTLE. Markers of GABAergic interneurons (parvalbumin, calbindin-D28k, and calretinin), the type-1 GABA transporter (GAT1), and major GABA(A)-receptor subunits expressed in the hippocampal formation were analyzed. Acutely, KA injection produced a profound loss of hilar cells but only limited damage to CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cells. In addition, parvalbumin and calbindin-D28k staining of interneurons disappeared irreversibly in CA1 and dentate gyrus (DG), whereas calretinin staining was spared. The prominent GABA(A)-receptor alpha1 subunit staining of interneurons also disappeared after KA treatment, suggesting acute degeneration of these cells. Likewise, GAT1 immunoreactivity revealed degenerating terminals at 24 h post-KA in CA1 and DC and subsided almost completely thereafter. Loss of CA1 and, to a lesser extent, CA3 neurons became evident at 7-15 days post-KA. It was more accentuated after 1 month, accompanied by a corresponding reduction of GABA(A)-receptor staining. In contrast, DC granule cells were markedly enlarged and dispersed in the molecular layer and exhibited a prominent increase in GABA(A)-receptor subunit staining. After 4 months, the dorsal CA1 area was lost almost entirely, CA3 was reduced, and the DG represented most of the remaining dorsal hippocampal formation. No significant morphological alterations were detected contralaterally. These results suggest that loss of hilar cells and GABAergic neurons contributes to epileptogenesis in this model of MTLE. In contrast, long-term degeneration of pyramidal cells and granule cell dispersion may reflect distinct responses to recurrent seizures. Finally, GABA(A)-receptor upregulation in the DG may represent a compensatory response persisting for several months in epileptic mice.

Adenovirus-mediated transfer of a functional GAD gene into nerve cells: potential for the treatment of neurological diseases.

The recent development of efficient virus-mediated gene transfer into nerve cells allows the prospect of new strategies for the treatment of drug-resistant neurological diseases. Some forms of epilepsy may be amenable to gene therapy. Although there is no obvious candidate gene, the consensual GABA hypothesis of epilepsy suggests that the GAD gene may be beneficial. GAD gene expression may be useful in supplying the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA to particular critical brain territories. We show herein that a nonreplicative recombinant adenovirus carrying the GAD67 gene under the control of Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat promoter is able to express the transgene in primary cultures of neurons and glial cells. Expression of the GAD67 gene was assessed by immunoblotting and immunohistochemical analysis. We demonstrated the functionality of the transgene, the expression of which resulted in production of large amounts of GABA in neuronal and glial cell cultures. Substantial production of the enzyme was also detected for several weeks in infected organotypic slices cultured from new-born rat hippocampal tissues. The virally encoded GAD67 was also expressed in vivo in various brain areas involved in various neurological disorders and thus may be of value for the development of gene therapies.