title: Molecular imaging reveals epileptogenic Ca2+-channel promoter activation in hippocampi of living mice.
abstract: Focal epilepsies often originate in the hippocampal formation of the temporal lobe (temporal lobe epilepsy) and are generally acquired after transient brain insults. Such insults induce cellular and structural reorganization processes of the hippocampus, referred to as epileptogenesis that finally convert the brain spontaneous epileptic. Here, we developed a new molecular imaging strategy in a state-of-the-art animal model to provide insights into key epileptogenic mechanisms. Our new approach combines recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) gene delivery with in vivo bioluminescence imaging. rAAV particles harboring the luciferase reporter gene under control of the minimal T type Ca(2+)-channel subunit Ca V 3.2-promoter were generated and injected stereotaxically in the hippocampal region of mice. Bioluminescent signals, corresponding to Ca V 3.2 promoter activation, were imaged in vivo in the pilocarpine model of status epilepticus (SE). We detected activation of key Ca V 3.2 promoter motifs at 3 and 10 days after SE but not after the onset of chronic seizures. These data suggest Ca V 3.2 promoter activation as novel anti-epileptogenic target. In more general terms, we have established an experimental approach that allows to follow cerebral gene promoter dynamics longitudinally and to correlate this activity to behavioral parameters in the same mice.
authors.affiliation: Section for Translational Epilepsy Research, Department of Neuropathology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Sigmund-Freud Str. 25, 53105, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kulbida
authors.forename: Yipeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Eva-Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Mandelkow
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schoch
authors.forename: Albert J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Karen M J
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: van Loo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012640:Seizures / Q000503:physiopathology; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000378:metabolism; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D010862:Pilocarpine