Journal article
Peri-ictal activation of dorsomedial dorsal raphe serotonin neurons reduces mortality associated with maximal electroshock seizures
Brain communications, Vol.6(2), fcae052
03/14/2024
DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae052
PMCID: PMC10939444
PMID: 38487550
Abstract
Over one-third of patients with epilepsy will develop refractory epilepsy and continue to experience seizures despite medical treatment. These patients are at the greatest risk for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. The precise mechanisms underlying sudden unexpected death in epilepsy are unknown, but cardiorespiratory dysfunction and arousal impairment have been implicated. Substantial circumstantial evidence suggests serotonin is relevant to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy as it modulates sleep/wake regulation, breathing and arousal. The dorsal raphe nucleus is a major serotonergic center and a component of the ascending arousal system. Seizures disrupt the firing of dorsal raphe neurons, which may contribute to reduced responsiveness. However, the relevance of the dorsal raphe nucleus and its subnuclei to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy remains unclear. The dorsomedial dorsal raphe may be a salient target due to its role in stress and its connections with structures implicated in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. We hypothesized that optogenetic activation of dorsomedial dorsal raphe serotonin neurons in
TPH2-ChR2-YFP
(
n
= 26) mice and wild-type (
n
= 27) littermates before induction of a maximal electroshock seizure would reduce mortality. In this study, pre-seizure activation of dorsal raphe nucleus serotonin neurons reduced mortality in
TPH2-ChR2-YFP
mice with implants aimed at the dorsomedial dorsal raphe. These results implicate the dorsomedial dorsal raphe in this novel circuit influencing seizure-induced mortality. It is our hope that these results and future experiments will define circuit mechanisms that could ultimately reduce sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
Petrucci
et al
. report that pre-seizure optogenetic stimulation of serotonergic neurons in the dorsomedial dorsal raphe reduces mortality in the maximal electroshock seizure model without affecting seizure duration or severity. Further research into the networks underlying this effect will increase our understanding of preventing death in epilepsy.
Graphical Abstract
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Peri-ictal activation of dorsomedial dorsal raphe serotonin neurons reduces mortality associated with maximal electroshock seizures
- Creators
- Alexandra N Petrucci - University of IowaAllysa R Jones - University of IowaBenjamin L Kreitlow - University of IowaGordon F Buchanan - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Brain communications, Vol.6(2), fcae052
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- DOI
- 10.1093/braincomms/fcae052
- PMID
- 38487550
- PMCID
- PMC10939444
- eISSN
- 2632-1297
- Grant note
- F31 NS113479 / ; R01 NS095842 / ;
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/14/2024
- Academic Unit
- Neurology; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Neuroscience and Pharmacology
- Record Identifier
- 9984572458802771
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