Enzyme changes in actively spiking areas of human epileptic cerebral cortex
Sherwin, A.; Quesney, F.; Gauthier, S.; Olivier, A.; Robitaille, Y.; McQuaid, P.; Harvey, C.; van Gelder, N.
Neurology 34(7): 927-933
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-3878 PMID: 6146116 Document Number: 240352
Enzymes involved in glutamic acid, GABA and catecholamine metabolism were measured in epileptic human brain. Electrocorticographically defined areas of focal spiking were compared with samples from surrounding nonspiking cortex. Comparative enzyme activities were as follows (.mu.mol/h g wet wt):glutamic acid dehydrogenase (GDH)-spiking 135.77 .+-. 10.22 (mean .+-. SEM ), nonspiking 118.58 .+-. 9.42 (P < 0.001, N = 17);glutamic acid decarboxylase-spiking 10.63 .+-. 0.95, nonspiking 9.96 .+-. 1.10 (NS,N = 13); GABA-aminotransferase-spiking 36.49 .+-. 1.05, nonspiking 36.46 .+-. 1.48 (NS,N = 12); glutamine synthetase-spiking 96.94 .+-. 3.81, nonspiking 96.52 .+-. 4.10 (NS,N = 20) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH;nmol/h/g)-spiking 16.23 .+-. 2.39, nonspiking 10.67 .+-. 1.95 (P < 0.001, N = 14). Increased activity of GDH and TH may prove useful to characterize further areas of active spiking in human focal epilepsy.