title: Postictal serum nucleotidases activities in patients with epilepsy.
abstract: Adenosine, a potent anticonvulsant, can be produced in the body by the hydrolysis of adenine nucleotides through the action of ecto- or soluble nucleotidases. Changes in nucleotide hydrolysis occur after pentylenetetrazol-induced epileptic events. We evaluated serum ATP, ADP and AMP hydrolysis rates and soluble nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDEase) activity at 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 min, and 12h following an epileptic event. Fifteen patients (seven female, eight male; mean age 15.5 years) were included in the study. The type of seizure was generalized in four patients and was localization related in the remaining 11. There were no differences in adenine nucleotide hydrolysis rates between patients and healthy subjects in the interictal stage. In comparison with controls, ATP, ADP and AMP hydrolysis rates were significantly increased at 5 min (53+/-1.4%, 79.2+/-2.8% and 37.0+/-2.6%, respectively) and up to 30 min following the epileptic event. In contrast to ADP and AMP, ATP hydrolysis remained significantly increased at 60 min (71.4+/-1.6%), returning to the basal level after 12h. Serum PDEase activity was also significantly higher in the patients than in healthy subjects, peaking at 15 min (61+/-2.9%) and remaining significantly increased up to 60 min (4.6+/-1.2%) following the epileptic episode. Globally, the variations in the postictal serum ADP hydrolysis rate almost overlapped those of AMP hydrolysis, whereas changes in the ATP hydrolysis rate overlapped those of PDEase activity. The clinical significance of this elevation in postictal soluble serum nucleotidase activity remains to be clarified. However, it is possible to hypothesize that the higher nucleotidase activity might play a role in the modulation of epileptic events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Neurology Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. grosso@unisi.it
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grosso
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rocchi
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Margollicci
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vatti
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luddi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Balestri
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000097:blood; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000097:blood; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000097:blood; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009708:Nucleotidases / Q000097:blood*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013938:Thymidine Monophosphate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C032579:thymidine 5'-4-nitrophenyl phosphate; D013938:Thymidine Monophosphate; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D009708:Nucleotidases