title: Brain cortical (Na+ K+)-ATPase in epilepsy. A biochemical study in animals and humans.
abstract: (Na+, K+)-ATPase (E.C.3.6.1.3) was partially purified from the cerebral cortex of audiogenic DBA/2 mice, from the primary and secondary epileptogenic foci of cats with a freeze lesion and from normal and epileptic human cortices. No differences in the specific activities of the microsomal enzyme were observed between normal and epileptic cortex. The influence of K+ ions and phenytoin, a potent antiepileptic drug, was then studied on the phosphorylation level of (Na+, K+)-ATPase alpha(+) (neuronal) and alpha(-) (non-neuronal) catalytic subunits resolved by SDS-gel electrophoresis. In normal cortex, the apparent affinity of the non-neuronal enzyme to K+ ions was reduced compared to the affinity of the neuronal enzyme. Phenytoin decreased the phosphorylation level of (Na+, K+)-ATPase purified from non-epileptogenic cortex of control C57/BL mice, cats and human patients. In fact, the drug induced the dephosphorylation of the (Na+, K+)-ATPase catalytic subunits, mainly of its alpha(-), non-neuronal subtype. In the cortex of audiogenic DBA/2 mice, K+ ions induced the dephosphorylation of (Na+, K+)-ATPase, with the same affinity as in control C57/BL mice. The dephosphorylating influence of phenytoin was however much decreased. In the primary and secondary foci of lesioned cats, both K+ and phenytoin dephosphorylating influences were decreased. Those changes were especially valid for the alpha(-), non-neuronal subunit. In human epileptic cortex, the (Na+, K+)-ATPase catalytic subunit had a decreased affinity to K+, as well as it lost its sensitivity to phenytoin dephosphorylation. Those results confirm the existence of two molecular forms of (Na+, K+)-ATPase in animal and human brain cortex. Those two forms, the neuronal and the non-neuronal or glial (Na+, K+)-ATPases, differ at least by their K+ regulation and their phenytoin sensitivity. Phenytoin studies also suggest that the drug stimulates the cortical (Na+, K+)-ATPase, mainly its glial form, providing central nervous system with an enhanced ability to regulate extracellular K+. In epileptic cortex, (Na+, K+)-ATPase and especially its glial form is altered in its K+ regulation and phenytoin sensitivity. That deficiency of glial (Na+, K+)-ATPase in focal epileptogenic cortex could be responsible for ictal transformation and seizure spread (Acta neurol. belg., 1988, 88, 257-280).
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guillaume
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000201:enzymology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008875:Middle Aged; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009457:Neuroglia; D009474:Neurons; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D010672:Phenytoin; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D011188:Potassium