Ablation of Unilateral Hippocampal GABAergic Neurons: A Novel Mouse Model of Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy With Hippocampal Sclerosis.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

While various animal models of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) exist, a validated model based solely on hippocampal GABAergic interneuron loss is lacking. We aimed to establish and characterize a novel MTLE with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) model by selective ablation of these neurons.

Methods

Using AAV vectors (flex-DTA or DIO-taCasp3-TEVp), we performed unilateral, partial ablation of GABAergic neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG) or CA1 subregions of VGAT-Cre mice. Spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) were monitored by video-EEG. Behavioral tests and histopathological analyses were conducted to assess comorbidities and HS features.

Results

DG-ablated mice all developed SRS, whereas 50%-70% of CA1-ablated mice did. Lethal SRS occurred in around 50% of DG-ablate

SUBMITTER: Tang T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12859687 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature