OBJECTIVE To study the function of neuronal nitric oxide synthase(nNOS) in the dentate gyrus(DG) in the pathology of epilepsy.METHODS The expression of nNOS in the DG was measured by qPCR and Western blotting in mice ...OBJECTIVE To study the function of neuronal nitric oxide synthase(nNOS) in the dentate gyrus(DG) in the pathology of epilepsy.METHODS The expression of nNOS in the DG was measured by qPCR and Western blotting in mice 3 and 12 h,1,7,14,and 60 d after treatment with pilocarpine(280 mg·kg-1,ip,one time).We constructed a type of lentiovirus encoding the full length cDNA of nNOS(LV-nNOS-GFP) and injected it and LV-GFP(1 μL) into the DG of the hippocampus 7 d after pilocarpine-induced seizure.The occurrence of epileptic spikes and spontaneous seizure(SRS)were monitored through electroencephalo-graph(EEG) and the protein expression was confirmed by Western blotting.We also constructed a lentioviral vehicle to interfere the expression of nNOS mRNA,which was named as LV-n NOSRNAi-GFP.A volume of 1 μL of LV-nNOS-RNAiGFP or LV-GFP was injected into the DG of the hippocampus 7 d before pilocarpine-induced seizure followed by EEG record and protein detection 2 months later.By EEG,we compared the susceptibility of nNOS knockout and wild-type mice to seizure induction and the development of epilepsy.In addition,we measured the influence of nNOS knockout on the excitability of dentate cells including mEPSC and mIPSC by using patch clamp technique.RESULTS Western blotting and qPCR measurement showed that the mRNA and protein expression of nNOS in the DG was not significantly changed in pilocarpinetreated mice compared with control mice.But the both m RNA and protein expression of nNOS decreased 7,14 and 60 d after treatment with pilocarpine(280 mg·kg-1,ip,one time).With infection of LV-nNOS-GFP in the DG,the decreased level of nNOS was recovered 7 d after seizure induction and the frequency of epileptic spikes and SRS were reversed by nNOS overexpression.We found that nNOS knockout caused a higher susceptive level to seizure induction by pilocarpine.Re-expression of nNOS in the DG of nNOS knockout mice relived the severity of epilepsy.By patch clamp recording,we found that there was no significant difference in the amplitude of mEPSC and mIPSC between nNOS knockout and wild-type mice,but the frequency of mEPSC was increased in nN OS knockout mice.Consistently,knockdown of nNOS by injection of LV-nNOS-RNAi-GFP into the DG caused higher frequency of epileptic spikes and SRS 2 months after pilocarpine-induced seizure.CONCLUSION Neurons expressing nNOS in the DG play an important role in the development of epilepsy.展开更多
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(81571269)Science Technology Innovation Fund of Nanjing Medical University (2017NJMUCX008).
文摘OBJECTIVE To study the function of neuronal nitric oxide synthase(nNOS) in the dentate gyrus(DG) in the pathology of epilepsy.METHODS The expression of nNOS in the DG was measured by qPCR and Western blotting in mice 3 and 12 h,1,7,14,and 60 d after treatment with pilocarpine(280 mg·kg-1,ip,one time).We constructed a type of lentiovirus encoding the full length cDNA of nNOS(LV-nNOS-GFP) and injected it and LV-GFP(1 μL) into the DG of the hippocampus 7 d after pilocarpine-induced seizure.The occurrence of epileptic spikes and spontaneous seizure(SRS)were monitored through electroencephalo-graph(EEG) and the protein expression was confirmed by Western blotting.We also constructed a lentioviral vehicle to interfere the expression of nNOS mRNA,which was named as LV-n NOSRNAi-GFP.A volume of 1 μL of LV-nNOS-RNAiGFP or LV-GFP was injected into the DG of the hippocampus 7 d before pilocarpine-induced seizure followed by EEG record and protein detection 2 months later.By EEG,we compared the susceptibility of nNOS knockout and wild-type mice to seizure induction and the development of epilepsy.In addition,we measured the influence of nNOS knockout on the excitability of dentate cells including mEPSC and mIPSC by using patch clamp technique.RESULTS Western blotting and qPCR measurement showed that the mRNA and protein expression of nNOS in the DG was not significantly changed in pilocarpinetreated mice compared with control mice.But the both m RNA and protein expression of nNOS decreased 7,14 and 60 d after treatment with pilocarpine(280 mg·kg-1,ip,one time).With infection of LV-nNOS-GFP in the DG,the decreased level of nNOS was recovered 7 d after seizure induction and the frequency of epileptic spikes and SRS were reversed by nNOS overexpression.We found that nNOS knockout caused a higher susceptive level to seizure induction by pilocarpine.Re-expression of nNOS in the DG of nNOS knockout mice relived the severity of epilepsy.By patch clamp recording,we found that there was no significant difference in the amplitude of mEPSC and mIPSC between nNOS knockout and wild-type mice,but the frequency of mEPSC was increased in nN OS knockout mice.Consistently,knockdown of nNOS by injection of LV-nNOS-RNAi-GFP into the DG caused higher frequency of epileptic spikes and SRS 2 months after pilocarpine-induced seizure.CONCLUSION Neurons expressing nNOS in the DG play an important role in the development of epilepsy.
