mTOR is involved in stroke-induced seizures and the anti-seizure effect of mild hypothermia

mTOR-Related Cell-Clearing Systems in Epileptic Seizures, an Update

Recent evidence suggests that autophagy impairment is implicated in the epileptogenic mechanisms downstream of mTOR hyperactivation. This holds true for a variety of genetic and acquired epileptic syndromes besides malformations of cortical development which are classically known as mTORopathies. Autophagy suppression is sufficient to induce epilepsy in experimental models, while rescuing autophagy prevents epileptogenesis, improves behavioral alterations, and provides neuroprotection in seizure-induced neuronal damage. The implication of autophagy in epileptogenesis and maturation phenomena related to seizure activity is supported by evidence indicating that autophagy is involved in the molecular mechanisms which are implicated in epilepsy. In general, mTOR-dependent autophagy regulates the proliferation and migration of inter-/neuronal cortical progenitors, synapse development, vesicular release, synaptic plasticity, and importantly, synaptic clustering of GABA_A receptors and subsequent excitatory/inhibitory balance in the brain. Similar to autophagy, the ubiquitin–proteasome system is regulated downstream of mTOR, and it is implicated in epileptogenesis. Thus, mTOR-dependent cell-clearing systems are now taking center stage in the field of epilepsy. In the present review, we discuss such evidence in a variety of seizure-related disorders and models. This is expected to provide a deeper insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying seizure activity.

Effect of ulinastatin combined with mild therapeutic hypothermia on intestinal barrier dysfunction following cardiopulmonary resuscitation in rats

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of ulinastatin (UTI) alone or combined with mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH) on intestinal barrier dysfunction following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in rats. A total of 25 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly organized into five groups: Sham; control; UTI; MTH; and the combined group. The latter four groups were induced with the asphyxiated cardiac arrest rat model and treated with different interventions. After 6 h of treatment, the intestinal tissues of the rats were examined by electron microscopy, and the levels of intestinal malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined. The results of the present study indicated that the target temperature had successfully been attained in MTH and the combined group, and the other three groups of rats all survived at a normal temperature. In the rats treated with UTI or MTH, the epithelial cells exhibited pathological changes in their tight junctions and epithelial cell surface microvilli compared with the sham group. In the rats treated with a combination of UTI and MTH, whilst the epithelial cells exhibited a few slight changes, including mitochondrial edema, they were largely similar to the normal epithelial cells. However, there were significant differences in the levels of MDA and SOD between the different treatment groups. UTI combined with MTH may serve a protective role by suppressing oxidative stress in the small intestinal mucosa following CPR in rats compared with either UTI or MTH treatment alone.