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Acta Physiologica 2009; Volume 195, Supplement 670
Belgian Society for Fundamental and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology, Spring Meeting 2009
3/7/2009-3/7/2009
Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
VGLUT2 HETEROZYGOUS MICE SHOW MORE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CLONIC SEIZURES INDUCED BY PENTYLENETETRAZOL
Abstract number: P-02
Schallier1 A., Massie1 A., Loyens1 E., Moechars2 D., Drinkenburg2 W., Michotte1 Y., Smolders1 I.
1Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium
2Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, A Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340 Beerse, Belgium
Glutamate, the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, is well known to be implicated in epileptic seizures. Therefore, impairments in glutamate transport could have an involvement in the mechanism of epileptogenesis. The uptake of glutamate into synaptic vesicles is mediated by vesicular glutamate transporters (vGLUTs). There are three known vGLUT isoforms, vGLUT1-3. In this study, we are particularly interested in the vGLUT2 isoform. We investigated the possible role of vGLUT2 in pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure generation. Seizure threshold of PTZ was compared in vGLUT2 heterozygous knock out (HET) and wild type (WT) mice. In comparison with their WT littermates a lower dose of PTZ was needed in the vGLUT2 HET mice until the onset of the first myoclonic jerk. The threshold for PTZ-induced clonic seizure activity was also lower in the vGLUT2 HET mice. These results indicate, for the first time, that vGLUT2 is likely involved in the epileptogenesis of generalized seizures.
To cite this abstract, please use the following information:
Acta Physiologica 2009; Volume 195, Supplement 670 :P-02