Increased NKCC1 expression in refractory human epilepsy.
Cation-chloride co-transporters (CCTs), particularly NKCC1, may be important in epileptogenesis. We have performed a detailed histological examination of NKCC1 in large samples of patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) or focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), pathologies both commonly associated with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. We consistently found increased immunoreactivity for NKCC1 in HS and FCD, but not in adjacent histologically normal cortex. Our results suggest that NKCC1 might contribute to the pathogenesis or pathophysiology of HS and FCD, thereby potentially offering a new therapeutic target in the treatment of pharmacoresistant epilepsy.
Sen
Arjune
A
Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
Martinian
Lillian
L
Nikolic
Margareta
M
Walker
Matthew C
MC
Thom
Maria
M
Sisodiya
Sanjay M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012598:Sclerosis; D028021:Sodium-Potassium-Chloride Symporters / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D064506:Solute Carrier Family 12, Member 2
C578877:SLC12A2 protein, human; D028021:Sodium-Potassium-Chloride Symporters; D064506:Solute Carrier Family 12, Member 2