Astrocyte glutamine synthetase may play an important role in the etiology of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy suggests a recent review in the Journal of Neuroscience Research.
- Investigators from the Yale School of Medicine and Southern Illinois School of Medicine believe that inhibition, loss, or dysfunction of the enzyme in astrocytes may be one of the causative factors responsible for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.
- Their review of the scientific evidence included a study of astrocyte abnormalities related to aquaporin 4, potassium channel Kir4.1, monocarboxylate transporters MCT1 and MCT2, amino acid transporters EAAT1 and EAA2, and glutamine synthetase.
- Their theory on the role of glutamine synthetase prompted the researchers to suggest that the mechanisms that control the enzyme may be worth consideration as targets for new antiepileptic drugs.
Eid T, Lee TW, Patrylo P, Zaveri HP. Astrocytes and glutamine synthetase in epileptogenesis [published online ahead of print July 18, 2018]. J Neurosci Res. 2018: doi: 10.1002/jnr.24267.
