doiSerbia

Gaseous neurotransmitter nitric oxide: Its role in experimental models of epilepsy

Hrnčić D. (Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Medical Physiology “Richard Burian”, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade)
Rašić-Marković Aleksandra (Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Medical Physiology “Richard Burian”, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade)
Bjekić-Macut Jelica (CHC Bežanijska kosa, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade)
Šušić Veselinka (Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade)
Mladenović D. (Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade)
Đurić D. (Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Medical Physiology “Richard Burian”, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade)
Stanojlović† Olivera (Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Medical Physiology “Richard Burian”, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade)

Epilepsy is one of the leading neurological disorders and affects 1-2% of the world’s population. Generally, it is a result of an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory phenomena in the central nervous system (CNS), but the mechanisms of its initiation and propagation still require further investigations. Experimental models represent one of the most powerful tools to better understand the mechanisms of epileptogenesis. Nitric oxide (NO) is gaseous molecule with pleiotropic physiological and pathological effects in almost all organ systems and intriguing biological relevance, especially in the CNS where it acts as a gaseous neurotransmitter. The role of NO in the generation of epilepsy is highly contradictory, since there is evidence of its anticonvulsive, as well as proconvulsive properties. Therefore, we will discuss in this review the involvement of NO-mediated signaling pathways in the mechanisms of epileptogenesis, taking into account the findings revealed in experimental studies on animal models of epilepsy.

Keywords: epilepsy, nitric oxide, animal models, gasotransmitters, homocysteine, lindane

Acknowledgments. This study was supported by Ministry of Education and Science of Serbia, Grant No. 175032