Epileptogenesis refers to a process in which an initial brain-damaging insult triggers a cascade of molecular and cellular changes that eventually lead to the occurrence of spontaneous seizures. Cellular alterations include neurodegeneration, neurogenesis, axonal sprouting, axonal injury, dendritic remodeling, gliosis, invasion of inflammatory cells, angiogenesis, alterations in extracellular m...

background: gap junctions (gjs) provide direct intercellular communications that are formed by hexameric protein subunits, called connexin (cx). the role of cxs in epileptogenesis has not received sufficient attention. hippocampus with critical function in epileptogenesis has a wide network of gjs. we examined the protein expression levels of hippocampal cx36 (the prominent cx present between g...

Epileptic seizures result in an increased generation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus of the adult mammalian hippocampus. The role of these seizure-induced newborn neurons in the process of epileptogenesis remains largely unknown. Recent work, however, suggests an aberrant incorporation of newborn cells into the existing hippocampal network in such a way that they promote hippocampal hyperex...

BACKGROUND Gap junctions (GJs) provide direct intercellular communications that are formed by hexameric protein subunits, called connexin (Cx). The role of Cxs in epileptogenesis has not received sufficient attention. Hippocampus with critical function in epileptogenesis has a wide network of GJs. We examined the protein expression levels of hippocampal Cx36 (the prominent Cx present between GA...

In the developing hippocampus, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 22 promotes the formation of excitatory presynaptic terminals. Remarkably, FGF22 knockout (KO) mice show resistance to generalized seizures in adults as assessed by chemical kindling, a model that is widely used to study epileptogenesis (Terauchi et al., 2010). Repeated injections of low dose pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) induce generalize...

Understanding molecular mechanisms mediating epileptogenesis is critical for developing more effective therapies for epilepsy. We recently found that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is involved in epileptogenesis, and mTOR inhibitors prevent epilepsy in a mouse model of tuberous sclerosis complex. Here, we investigated the potential role of mTOR in a rat model of temp...