title: Okadaic acid induces epileptic seizures and hyperphosphorylation of the NR2B subunit of the NMDA receptor in rat hippocampus in vivo.
abstract: Overactivation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors is closely related to epilepsy and excitotoxicity, and the phosphorylation of these receptors may facilitate glutamate-mediated synaptic transmission. Here we show that in awake rats the microinjection into the hippocampus of okadaic acid, a potent inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A, induces in about 20 min intense electroencephalographic and behavioral limbic-type seizures, which are suppressed by the systemic administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo-[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine hydrogen maleate and by the intrahippocampal administration of 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine, an inhibitor of protein kinases. Two hours after okadaic acid, when the EEG seizures were intense, an increased serine phosphorylation of some hippocampal proteins, including an enhancement of the serine phosphorylation of the NMDA receptor subunit NR2B, was detected by immunoblotting. Twenty-four hours after okadaic acid a marked destruction of hippocampal CA1 region was observed, which was not prevented by the receptor antagonists. These findings suggest that hyperphosphorylation of glutamate receptors in vivo may result in an increased sensitivity to the endogenous transmitter and therefore induce neuronal hyperexcitability and epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiologi;a, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70-228, 04510, México, DF, México.
authors.forename: Clorinda
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Montiel
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferrera
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tapia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D019319:Okadaic Acid / Q000633:toxicity*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C121001:NR2B NMDA receptor; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C015482:protein kinase modulator; D019319:Okadaic Acid