| Project/Area Number |
13671473
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Cerebral neurosurgery
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| Research Institution | Toho University |
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Principal Investigator |
NAGAO Takeki Toho University, Neurosurgery, Associate professor, 医学部, 助教授 (20167555)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KANO Toshiyuki Toho University, Neurosurgery, instructor, 医学部, 助手 (10297658)
SHIBATA Iekado Toho University, Neurosurgery, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (70057545)
青木 美憲 東邦大学, 医学部, 助手 (70349851)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2001 – 2003
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2003)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000)
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| Keywords | entorhinal cortex / hippocampus / slice / 4-aminopyridine / NMDA / non-NMDA / GABA / epilepsy |
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| Research Abstract |
Throughout the history of neuroscience, epileptologists have striven to grasp the intricate processes involved in the once believed "Sacred Diseas". To this end, different animal models and techniques have been developed, with the hope that a better understanding of the putative mechanisms involved in epilepsy may lead to an eventual cure.
Chronic temporal lobe epilepsy in human is characterized by hippocampal, or Ammon's horn, sclerosis which consists of neuronal cell loss and gliosis. The investigation for human temporal epilepsy requires the use of animal models of seizures which have the similar behavioral and histological features. Thus far, several animal models are employed and providing abundant data.
Our study is based on the confirmation of the combined hippocampal-entorhinal slice preparation representing a suitable model for understanding the modalities of origin and propagation of epileptiform activity within the limbic system. Furthermore, we also study a mechanism through which the convulsant drug and K channel blocker, 4-amynopyridine (4AP), elicits its spontaneous, synchronous activity in the subfields of the in vitro the combined hippocampal-entorhinal slice. 4-AP is a potent convulsant drug, whose epileptogenetic properties have been investigated both in vivo and in vitro. Micromolar concentration of 4AP induced a powerful and persistent enhancement of neurotransmitter release from excitatory and inhibitory pathways through the blockade of some K^+ channels. We employed 4AP to be perfused on the combined hippocampal-entorhinal slices obtained from adult rodent brain for exploring the electrophysiological properties underlying limbic system.
Our study confirms that the combined hippocampal-entorhinal slice preparation represents a suitable model for understanding the modalities of origin and propagation of epileptiform activity as well as GABA-mediated potential within the limbic system.
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