The mechanisms of neuronal death and advances in the neural protection in epilepsy
Grieb P, Stelmasiak Z, Rejdak K, Rejdak R.
Pracownia Farmakologii Doswiadczalnej
I-CMDiK PAN Warsaw, Poland
Neurol Neurochir Pol 2000;34 Suppl 8:85-93
Abstract
Epilepsias are chronic central nervous system diseases which manifest by recurrent seizures. They may be classified into channelopathies resulting from mutations of ionic channels or receptors for neurotransmitters, and epilepsias which are secondary to cortical damage and result from the reconstruction of cortical neural networks. Chronic or generalized seizures initiate processes called the "excititoxic cascade" the effector side of which, quite similar to that of the "ischemic cascade", may lead to neuronal death through either apoptosis or necrosis. Therefore, complementing pharmacological treatment of epilepsia with neuroprotective substances such as free radical scavenger or CDP-choline which blocks the activation of phospholipase A2 may be indicated.
