title: Myocyte-specific enhancer binding factor 2A expression is downregulated during temporal lobe epilepsy.
abstract: Myocyte-specific enhancer binding factor 2A (MEF2A) is a multifunctional nuclear protein that regulates synaptogenesis, dendritic morphogenesis, and neuronal survival. This study aimed to investigate the expression pattern of MEF2A in epileptogenic processes. MEF2A expression was detected in 20 temporal neocortex tissue samples from patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and 20 samples from trauma patients without epilepsy by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, double-label immunofluorescent staining, and western blot analysis. In addition, the expression patterns of MEF2A in the hippocampus and adjacent cortex of a lithium-pilocarpine-induced TLE rat model and control rats were examined. MEF2A was found to be expressed in the nuclei of neurons but not in the dendrites of neurons and astrocytes. MEF2A expression was significantly downregulated in temporal neocortex of humans and rats with TLE compared to the control groups. In addition, in the lithium-pilocarpine-induced TLE model, MEF2A expression dynamically decreased within 2 months. Taken together, these data suggest that MEF2A is involved in the pathogenesis of TLE.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University , Yangmei Chen , China.
authors.forename: Yunyi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University , Yangmei Chen , China.
authors.forename: Xuling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University , Yangmei Chen , China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University , Yangmei Chen , China.
authors.forename: Jinxian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D019579:Neocortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors
keywords: myocyte-specific enhancer binding factor 2A; neuronal apoptosis; synaptic plasticity; temporal lobe epilepsy