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Experimental epilepsy affects N otch1 signalling and the stem cell pool in the dentate gyrus
Author(s) -
Sibbe Mirjam,
Häussler Ute,
Dieni Sandra,
Althof Daniel,
Haas Carola A.,
Frotscher Michael
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.08279.x
Subject(s) - dentate gyrus , subgranular zone , neurogenesis , hippocampal formation , status epilepticus , neuroscience , epilepsy , epileptogenesis , hippocampus , kainic acid , stem cell , temporal lobe , psychology , biology , neural stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , subventricular zone , glutamate receptor , receptor
Abstract Temporal lobe epilepsy ( TLE ) is the most frequent form of epilepsy in adults. In addition to recurrent focal seizures, patients suffer from memory loss and depression. The factors contributing to these symptoms are unknown. In recent years, adult hippocampal neurogenesis has been implicated in certain aspects of learning and memory, as well as in depression and anhedonia. Here we investigated whether the adult hippocampal stem cell niche is affected by status epilepticus in a mouse model of TLE using unilateral intrahippocampal kainic acid injection. Eight days after status epilepticus, we found a strong diminution in N otch signalling, a key pathway involved in stem cell maintenance, as assayed by hes5 reporter gene activity. In particular, hes5– GFP expression in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus was diminished. Furthermore, S ox2‐positive cells as well as stem cell proliferation were reduced, thus pointing to a disruption of the stem cell niche in epilepsy under the present experimental conditions.