Epileptogenicity and Epileptic Activity: Mechanisms in an Invertebrate Model Nervous System

2004 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 473-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Altrup
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Epileptic Activity ◽  
Invertebrate Model

scholarly journals Neurotoxicity in Marine Invertebrates: An Update

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
Irene Deidda ◽  
Roberta Russo ◽  
Rosa Bonaventura ◽  
Caterina Costa ◽  
Francesca Zito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
Marine Invertebrate ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Neural Genes ◽  
Chemical Agents ◽  
Neurotoxic Effects ◽  
Invertebrate Model

Invertebrates represent about 95% of existing species, and most of them belong to aquatic ecosystems. Marine invertebrates are found at intermediate levels of the food chain and, therefore, they play a central role in the biodiversity of ecosystems. Furthermore, these organisms have a short life cycle, easy laboratory manipulation, and high sensitivity to marine pollution and, therefore, they are considered to be optimal bioindicators for assessing detrimental chemical agents that are related to the marine environment and with potential toxicity to human health, including neurotoxicity. In general, albeit simple, the nervous system of marine invertebrates is composed of neuronal and glial cells, and it exhibits biochemical and functional similarities with the vertebrate nervous system, including humans. In recent decades, new genetic and transcriptomic technologies have made the identification of many neural genes and transcription factors homologous to those in humans possible. Neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and altered levels of neurotransmitters are some of the aspects of neurotoxic effects that can also occur in marine invertebrate organisms. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of major marine pollutants, such as heavy metals, pesticides, and micro and nano-plastics, with a focus on their neurotoxic effects in marine invertebrate organisms. This review could be a stimulus to bio-research towards the use of invertebrate model systems other than traditional, ethically questionable, time-consuming, and highly expensive mammalian models.

Autonomic Activity and Induced Convulsions

1946 ◽  
Vol 92 (386) ◽  
pp. 146-149
Author(s):  
F. Reitman
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Epileptic Activity ◽  
Central Action ◽  
Autonomic Activity ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Cerebral Activity ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Convulsive Threshold ◽  
The Brain

Since the influence of the autonomic nervous system on epileptic phenomena became the subject of intensive investigations, several contradictory reports have been published. Williams and Russell (1941) and Williams (1941) found that parasympathetic overactivity (induced chemically and registered by electro-encephalography) increases epileptic activity. Darrow (1944) reported opposite results, his observations being based on electrically induced parasympathetic overactivity on animals. He registered his observations by electroencephalography. Cohen, Thale and Tissenbaum (1044) induced convulsions for therapeutical purposes by administering the parasympathomimetic drug, acetylcholine, and Chatfield and Dempsey (1942) observed the production of fits in cats, when giving acetylcholine and prostigmine together. Though the results were contradictory, the main aim of all these investigations was to establish the cholinergic neurohumoral changes in relation to epilepsy. But, as Williams pointed out, it is impossible to say whether the results are due to a direct central action, are consequent upon changes in the pH or of a respiratory or a circulatory nature. The investigations described in this paper were devised to re-examine these problems clinically. They were based on the hypothesis that if cholinergic overactivity enhances epileptic cerebral activity, the convulsive threshold of the brain should be lowered after administration of anticholinesterases, in particular prostigmine.

scholarly journals Heart rate variabilit y during epileptic seizures as a factor in the development of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (literat ure review)

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-22
Author(s):  
A. V. Monakhova ◽  
A. Yu. Yakshina ◽  
E. D. Belousova
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Heart Rhythm ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Epileptic Activity ◽  
Sudden Unexpected Death ◽  
Unexpected Death ◽  
Autonomic Nervous

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the most common cause of death in patients with epilepsy and occurs at least 20 times more often in patients with fore mentioned condition compared with healthy people. During epileptic seizures, a significant proportion of patients develop heart rate variability and respiratory depression. It is assumed that these cardiorespiratory complications are the most probable risk factor for the development of SUDEP. Asystole and ventricular fibrillation, developing immediately after the seizure, are the most significant arrhythmias in the pathophysiology of SUDEP. Discoordination of the autonomic nervous system activity in connection with the involvement of autonomous control centers in epileptic activity leads to the emerging cardiopulmonary pathology. In patients with long-term resistant epilepsy, chronic dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system is formed and, as a consequence, a greater predisposition to the disturbances of heart rhythm. A detailed study of cardiac disorders during epileptic seizures will provide the key for understanding the risks of developing SUDEP and developing some approaches to its prevention.

scholarly journals The mistery of Gustave Flaubert's death: could sudden unexpected death in epilepsy be part of the context?

2009 ◽  
Vol 67 (2b) ◽  
pp. 548-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marly de Albuquerque ◽  
Carla A. Scorza ◽  
Ricardo M. Arida ◽  
Esper A. Cavalheiro ◽  
Fulvio A. Scorza
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Cardiac Arrhythmias ◽  
Gustave Flaubert ◽  
Epileptic Activity ◽  
Sudden Unexpected Death ◽  
Unexpected Death ◽  
Nervous Disease ◽  
The Subject

Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological condition and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the most important direct epilepsy-related cause of death. Information concerning risk factors for SUDEP is conflicting, but high seizure frequency is a potential risk factor. Additionally, potential pathomechanisms for SUDEP are unknown, but it is very probable that cardiac arrhythmias during and between seizures or transmission of epileptic activity to the heart via the autonomic nervous system potentially play a role. More than two decades ago, temporal lobe epilepsy was suggested as having been the ''nervous disease'' of Gustave Flaubert, one of the most important French novelists. In these lines, as the circumstances of his death were the subject of fabulous and mysterious speculations, we postulated in this paper that Falubert' death could be due SUDEP phenomenon.

scholarly journals Anti epileptic activity of ocimum species: A brief review

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 180-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chhaya Agarwal ◽  
N. L. Sharma ◽  
S. S. Gaurav
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Anticonvulsant Drug ◽  
Epileptic Activity ◽  
Pharmacological Properties ◽  
Cns Depressant ◽  
Chronic Disorder ◽  
Ocimum Species ◽  
The World ◽  
Anticonvulsant Property

The Ocimum species is a medicinal herb used in the indigenous system of medicine. Ocimum sp. have variety of biological, pharmacological properties such as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antimalarial, anthelmentic, antidiarrhoeal, antiinflammatory, antihypertensive, cardioprotective, central nervous system (CNS) depressant, antidiabetic, antithyroidic, antioxidant, anticancer, chemopreventive, radioprotective, immunomodulatory, antifertility, antiulcer, antiarthritic, antistress, antileucodermal and anticoagulant activities. Sevral species of Ocimum are used to cure central nervous system (CNS) disorders.in various part of the world due to its anticonvulsant property .epilepsy is a chronic disorder which is characterized by seizures. Seizures are resistant to treatment with currently available anticonvulsant drug (AEDs) in about one out of three patient with epilepsy. This review refers to the study of ocimum as an antiepileptic drug (AEDs) because of its specific anticonvulsant property.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9168   Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 180-183

scholarly journals Cell segregation and boundary formation during nervous system development

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Constanza González-Ramírez ◽  
Pablo Guzmán-Palma ◽  
Carlos Oliva
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
System Development ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Boundary Formation ◽  
Cortical Tension ◽  
Invertebrate Model ◽  
Cell Segregation ◽  
Multicellular Organisms ◽  
Actomyosin Cytoskeleton

The development of multicellular organisms involves three main events: differentiation, growth, and morphogenesis. These processes need to be coordinated for a correct developmental program to work. Mechanisms of cell segregation and the formation of boundaries during development play essential roles in this coordination, allowing the generation and maintenance of distinct regions in an organism. These mechanisms are also at work in the nervous system. The process of regionalization involves first the patterning of the developing organism through gradients and the expression of transcription factors in specific regions. Once different tissues have been induced, segregation mechanisms may operate to avoid cell mixing between different compartments. Three mechanisms have been proposed to achieve segregation: (1) differential affinity, which mainly involves the expression of distinct pools of adhesion molecules such as members of the cadherin superfamily; (2) contact inhibition, which is largely mediated by Eph-ephrin signaling; and (3) cortical tension, which involves the actomyosin cytoskeleton. In many instances, these mechanisms collaborate in cell segregation. In the last three decades, there have been several advances in our understanding of how cell segregation and boundaries participate in the development of the nervous system. Interestingly as in other aspects of development, the molecular players are remarkably similar between vertebrates and invertebrates. Here we summarize the main concepts of cell segregation and boundary formation, focusing on the nervous system and highlighting the similarities between vertebrate and invertebrate model organisms.

Neurotropic enteroviruses co-opt “fair-weather-friend” commensal gut microbiota to drive host infection and central nervous system disturbances

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin B. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Gut Bacteria ◽  
Infection Cycle ◽  
Fair Weather ◽  
Host Health ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Animal Hosts ◽  
Host Infection ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Conditions

Abstract Some neurotropic enteroviruses hijack Trojan horse/raft commensal gut bacteria to render devastating biomimicking cryptic attacks on human/animal hosts. Such virus-microbe interactions manipulate hosts’ gut-brain axes with accompanying infection-cycle-optimizing central nervous system (CNS) disturbances, including severe neurodevelopmental, neuromotor, and neuropsychiatric conditions. Co-opted bacteria thus indirectly influence host health, development, behavior, and mind as possible “fair-weather-friend” symbionts, switching from commensal to context-dependent pathogen-like strategies benefiting gut-bacteria fitness.

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