Effects of Chlorogenic Acid on Epileptic Behavior and mRNA Expressions of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor in the Brain of Aged Rats

Introduction: The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of chlorogenic acid (CA) and Diazepam (DZP) on epileptic complication that induced by repetitive intra-peritoneal injections of pentylenetetrazle (PTZ) in aged rats. Methods: Twenty-four month-old male Wistar rats (age > 12 months, 300-350 g) were divided in 4 experimental groups. Animal in control group (PTZ + Vehicle) received only PTZ. Animal in treated groups (PTZ + DZP, PTZ + CA10 and PTZ + 25) received diazepam 2 mg/kg, CA 10 mg/kg, or CA 25 mg/kg. All drugs injection were performed 30 min prior to each PTZ injection. Epilepsy was induced by injection of subconvulsive dose of PTZ every other day until the rats were completely kindled or epileptic. After each PTZ injection, animal was monitored for 40 min and epileptic behaviors were scored. At the end of the study, rats were sacrificed and the brains removed for evaluation of histological changes and Brain Derived Neurothrophic Factor (BDNF) gene expression. Results: CA at dose of 25 mg/kg reduced percent of generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCS) in aged rats (24%) in compared to control group (50%) (p < 0.05). The latencies to the start of GTCS were decreased in both dose of CA (p < 0.05). Also, the percent of survived neurons in rats treated with CA (154%) were significantly higher relative to that of control animals (100%) (p < 0.05). The mRNA levels of BDNF significantly increased in CA treated rats (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Hence, these findings revealed that CA have antiepileptic, neuroprotective and trophic effects in aged rats. CA can protect aged brain from deteriorative processes and save neurons during epilepsy in rats.

Gray matter heterotopia: clinical and neuroimaging report on 22 children

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and neuroimaging features of childhood presenting with gray matter heterotopia observed in a single tertiary Pediatric Department in Catania and compare the data with those reported in the literature. Methods A retrospectively review of the history, clinical findings, electrophysiological features and magnetic resonance images of 22 children presenting with gray matter heterotopia observed from January 2010 to January 2020. Results Among the 22 children included in the study, 17 presented with periventricular heterotopia (PVNH), two with Subcortical Band Heterotopia (SBH), and three with other subcortical heterotopia (SUBH). In the affected children, the ages at first diagnosis ranged from 3 months to 16 years with a mean age of 8.2 years (± 5.4); twelve (54.5%) suffered by developmental delay and intellectual deficit; eleven children (50%) complained of epileptic seizures, mostly focal to bilateral tonic–clonic seizure. In addition, in the periventricular heterotopia group (PVNH), cerebral and systemic malformations were reported in twelve (70%) and in ten (58%) children, respectively, out of seventeen. In the SBH plus SUBH group, epileptic seizures were recorded in 3 (60%) out of 5 children, cerebral malformations in one child and systemic malformations in two children. Conclusions Heterotopic gray matter malformations include a group of disorders that manifest with a variety of neurological implications, such as cognitive impairment and epilepsy, and often related with epilepsy, other cerebral malformations and systemic anomalies.

A rare case of varicella zoster virus encephalitis in a 16 years old unvaccinated girl

We reported a 16-year-old girl, with diffuse vesicular rashes all over the body, presented to the emergency department with altered mental status, irritability, persistent fever and one episode of a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. After thorough evaluation and investigations, the case was a varicella zoster-associated encephalitis in an unvaccinated patient. Appropriate treatment was initiated, the patient was then shifted to the critical care and subsequently discharged with no sequelae. Early diagnosis and treatment should be emphasized as they play an important role in the clinical outcome of chickenpox-associated encephalitis.

Extensive Intracranial Calcification in A Case of Hypoparathyroidism Which Presented With Generalized Tonic-clonic Seizure: A Case Report

Hypoparathyroidism is an endocrine disorder that can be congenital or acquired. Generally, hypoparathyroidism is characterized by hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and low or abnormal levels of Parathyroid Hormone (PTH). It can be asymptomatic or symptomatic. The symptoms include seizures, paresthesia, depression, psychosis, extrapyramidal manifestations, and increased intracranial pressure. In this case study, we reported a 40-yearold male patient who was admitted to the emergency department with generalized tonicclonic movements and urine incontinency. Laboratory investigations revealed hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and low parathyroid hormone levels and in paraclinical studies, including Electroencephalography (EEG) and brain CT-scan, despite normal EEG, extensive intracranial calcification involving the basal ganglia, thalamus, white matter of the cerebral hemispheres, and subcortical area of the frontal and parietal lobes were observed on CT-scan.

The Effect of ARHGEF15 Knockout and Forebrain-Specific Human ARHGEF15 Knock-In on Seizure Susceptibility in Mice

Background The ARHGEF15 gene encodes the Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 15. Although multiple evidence indicates that ARHGEF15 may be related to epilepsy, it is not clear what role it plays. Methods Subjects were homozygous ARHGEF15 knockout (E5−/−) mice, wild-type (WT) mice, Cre-positive homozygous human ARHGEF15 conditional knock-in (E5CKI/CKI•Cre+) mice which can overexpress human Ephexin5 in the forebrain, and Cre-positive (E5WT/WT•Cre+) mice. Models with epileptic seizures were established by intraperitoneal injection of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) in 60 mg/kg, and seizures were recorded by video. Then 7 indexes were counted, including “maximum seizure level”, “seizure level classification”, “tonic-clonic seizure or not”, “latency of tonic-clonic seizure”, “number of times of tonic-clonic seizure”, “total duration of tonic-clonic seizure”, and “dead or not”. Western blot was used to detect Ephexin5, RhoA, p-RhoA, ROCK2, and p-ROCK2 in WT mice and E5−/− mice. Results Compared with WT mice, E5−/− mice had a shorter “total duration of tonic-clonic seizure”. For levels of RhoA, p-RhoA, ROCK2 and p-ROCK2 in the adult hippocampus, there was no significant difference between WT and E5−/−. The level of Ephexin5 was high in the whole brain tissue of 2-day-old WT mice, and an extremely low expression of Ephexin5 was detected in the brain tissue of E5−/− mice of the same age. There was no significant difference between E5CKI/CKI•Cre + mice and E5WT/WT•Cre + mice in seizures. Conclusions ARHGEF15 knockout can decrease the “duration of tonic-clonic seizure” in adult mice with epileptic seizures induced by PTZ. ARHGEF15 knockout did not affect the expression of the RhoA-ROCK2 pathway in the hippocampus of adult mice, which probably attributed to no expression of Ephexin5 in the hippocampus of adult mice. The overexpression of human Ephexin5 in the forebrain has no significant effect on the behavior of epileptic seizures induced by PTZ in adult mice.