title: Light-activated channels in acute seizures.
abstract: Optogenetics allow for timely precise and cell-population specific activation or inhibition of neuronal activity. Hallorhodopsin NpHR is an inward cholride pump, which when activated by orange light, hyperpolarises neuronal membrane and inhibitis action potential generation. We were first to show that transduction of principal neurons with NpHR in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures effectivey attenuates epileptiform activity when exposed to orange light. Our data suggest that optogenetic approach may become a useful method for controlling epileptiform activity, and may open novel avenues to develop alternative treatment strategies for epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. Merab.kokaia@med.lu.se
authors.forename: Merab
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kokaia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D003292:Convulsants / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D025602:Halorhodopsins / Q000235:genetics; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology*; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003292:Convulsants; D025602:Halorhodopsins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D010852:Picrotoxin; C054562:yellow fluorescent protein, Bacteria