论文部分内容阅读
The neuromodulator adenosine (AD) fulfills a unique role in the brain,affecting glutamatergic neurotransmission and dopaminergic signal via activation of adenosine A1 and A2A receptors.Adenosine levels are largely regulated by the key metabolic enzyme adenosine kinase (ADK),which can activate four kinds of adenosine receptors: A1,A2A,A2B,and A3.Previous studies have indicated that the A1 receptor (A1R) mediates the effects of AD on epilepsy,but recent work suggests the A2A receptor (A2AR) plays a key role in releasing excitatory amino acids and activating astrogliosis.Therefore,it is important to determine the protein expression of A2A and ADK in the human brain with temporal lobe epilepsy,which is the aim of the present study.Brain tissue samples were collected from 15 temporal lobe epilepsy patients as the experimental group,and 6 cases normal brain tissue samples were obtained from autopsies or craniocerebrai trauma as the control group.The clinical manifestations,EEG,and radiographs of the 15 experimental group patients were obtained.The pathological changes in the epileptogenic zone were assessed using optical and transmission electron microscopy.The protein expression of A2A and ADK was detected by immunohistochemistry.We found that the A2A and ADK-positive cell number in the experimental group was greater than in the control group.Furthermore,the positive cell number in samples from patients who suffered from epilepsy over 10 years was greater than in samples from patients with < 10 years epilepsy.The pathological changes of the human brain with refractory epilepsy included an uneven distribution of neurons and visible immature neurons.The nuclei were vacuolated and less cytoplasm was present.The neurons had become triangular due to degeneration.Small vascular and glial cells had proliferated,and lymphocytes and plasma cells had infiltrated.Degeneration and necrosis of the nerve cells were observed under the transmission electron microscope.Nuclei became pyknotic and the nuclear membranes were irregular.Nucleoli were asymmetrical,karyolemma were broken or even dissolved,hyalomitome vacuolization and free ribosomes were visible,and Golgi tendon organs were hyperplasic.The mitochondria and astrocytes were swollen,and a portion of the mitochondrial cristae had disappeared.Taken together,the expression of A2A and ADK in the brains of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy was higher than that in the normal control brain tissue.High A2A and ADK expression is related to the length of time of epilepsy.Obvious pathological changes were found in the brains of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.