title: Cellular neuropathology of absence epilepsy in the neocortex: a population of glial cells rather than neurons is impaired in genetic rat model.
abstract: It is well accepted that absence epilepsy is not accompanied by structural brain abnormalities. In the present report, we challenged this view based on microscopic analysis of neocortex in a genetic model of absence epilepsy, WAG/Rij rats. Density of neurons and glial cells was measured in the motor, somatosensory and cingular cortical areas in epileptic WAG/Rij rats and in non-epileptic control ACI rats. More extensive and significant differences between two strains were found in a population of glial cells and less significant - in neurons. In contract to ACI rats, WAG/Rij rats showed (1) a deficit of glial cells and a lower glia-neuron index in the somatosensory and cingulate areas (deep layers); (2) a reduced number of neurons locally in the motor cortex. The somatosensory cortex (deep layers) is known to play a key role in triggering of epileptic discharges, and an impairment of glia-neuron interactions in this area might underlie pathological processes in a primary epileptic focus. In the motor cortex, epileptiform activity is known to reach the highest amplitude, and this may cause or result from a deficit of neurons. Our data suggest the critical role of glial cells and glia-neuron interactions in pathogenesis of absence epilepsy.
authors: Institute of Higher Nervous Activity RAS, Moscow, Russia. jenia-s@mail.ru.
authors: Evgenia
authors: E
authors: Sitnikova
authors: Sofia
authors: S
authors: Kulikova
authors: Lidia
authors: L
authors: Birioukova
authors: Vladimir V
authors: VV
authors: Raevsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D019579:Neocortex / Q000473:pathology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000473:pathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000473:pathology