title: Increased Expression of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 in Cortical Lesions of Patients with Focal Cortical Dysplasia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) represents a well-known cause of medically intractable epilepsy. Studies found that transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 4 (TRPV4) may participate in the occurrence of seizures. This study investigated the expression patterns of TRPV4 in FCD and the cascade that regulate functional state of TRPV4 in cortical neurons.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine surgical specimens from FCD patients and 10 age-matched control samples from autopsies were included in this study. Protein expression and distribution were detected by Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence staining. Calcium imaging was used to detect the TRPV4-mediated Ca(2+) influx in cortical neurons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) The protein levels of TRPV4 and of an upstream factor, protein kinase C (PKC), were markedly elevated in FCD. (2) TRPV4 staining was stronger in the dysplastic cortices of FCD and mainly observed in neuronal microcolumns and malformed cells. (3) The activation of TRPV4 was central for [Ca(2+)]i elevation in cortical neurons, and this activity of TRPV4 in cortical neurons was regulated by the PKC, but not the PKA, pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overexpression and altered cellular distribution of TRPV4 in FCD suggest that TRPV4 may potentially contribute to the epileptogenesis of FCD.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Fei-Ji
authors: FJ
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Yu-Jia
authors: YJ
authors: Wei
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Lu-Kang
authors: LK
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Zhen-Le
authors: ZL
authors: Zang
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Song
authors: S
authors: Li
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Shi-Yong
authors: SY
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D054220:Malformations of Cortical Development / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D050916:TRPV Cation Channels; C416986:TRPV4 protein, human; C486577:Trpv4 protein, rat; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Calcium imaging; Focal cortical dysplasia; Protein kinase C; TRPV4