bioRxiv · 10.1101/2021.04.11.439321
Respiratory dysfunctions in two rodent models of chronic epilepsy and acute seizures and their link with brainstem serotonin system
Abstract
Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy can experience respiratory alterations notably during seizures. The mechanisms underlying this long-term alteration of respiratory function remain unclear. This study aimed at determining in rats whether epilepsy is associated with alterations of both the respiratory function and brainstem serotonin (5-HT) system. Epilepsy was triggered by pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in rats. 30-50% of epileptic (EPI) rats exhibited sharp decrease of oxygen consumption (SDOC), low metabolic rate of oxygen and slow regular ventilation; these rats were called EPI/SDOC+ rats. These alterations were only detected in rats with chronic epilepsy, independent of behavioral seizures, persisted over the time, and were not associated with death. In these rats, 5-HT fiber density in the nucleus tractus solitarius was below that of control and EPI/SDOC-rats. Both EPI/SDOC+ rats and DBA/2 mice presenting with fatal respiratory arrest following an audiogenic-induced seizure, a model of sudden and expected death in epilepsy, had increased transcript levels of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (p<0.001 for both strains) and 5-HT presynaptic transporter (rats: p=0.003; mice: p=0.001). Thus, our data support that 5-HT alterations are associated with chronic and acute epilepsy-related respiratory dysfunctions.
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KOUCHI, k., Ogier, M., Dieuset, G., Morales, A., Georges, B., Rouanet, J.-L., Martin, B., Ryvlin, P., Rheims, S., Bezin, L.. 2021-04-11. Respiratory dysfunctions in two rodent models of chronic epilepsy and acute seizures and their link with brainstem serotonin system. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.11.439321
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