Brain cortical (Na+ K+)-ATPase in epilepsy. A biochemical study in animals and humans

(Na+, K+)-ATPase (E.C.3.6.1.3) was partially purified from the cerebral cortex of audiogenic DBA/2 mice, from the primary and secondary epileptogenic foci of cats with a freeze lesion and from normal and epileptic human cortices. No differences in the specific activities of the microsomal enzyme were observed between normal and epileptic cortex. The influence of K+ ions and phenytoin, a potent antiepileptic drug, was then studied on the phosphorylation level of (Na+, K+)-ATPase alpha(+) (neuronal) and alpha(-) (non-neuronal) catalytic subunits resolved by SDS-gel electrophoresis. In normal cortex, the apparent affinity of the non-neuronal enzyme to K+ ions was reduced compared to the affinity of the neuronal enzyme. Phenytoin decreased the phosphorylation level of (Na+, K+)-ATPase purified from non-epileptogenic cortex of control C57/BL mice, cats and human patients. In fact, the drug induced the dephosphorylation of the (Na+, K+)-ATPase catalytic subunits, mainly of its alpha(-), non-neuronal subtype. In the cortex of audiogenic DBA/2 mice, K+ ions induced the dephosphorylation of (Na+, K+)-ATPase, with the same affinity as in control C57/BL mice. The dephosphorylating influence of phenytoin was however much decreased. In the primary and secondary foci of lesioned cats, both K+ and phenytoin dephosphorylating influences were decreased. Those changes were especially valid for the alpha(-), non-neuronal subunit. In human epileptic cortex, the (Na+, K+)-ATPase catalytic subunit had a decreased affinity to K+, as well as it lost its sensitivity to phenytoin dephosphorylation. Those results confirm the existence of two molecular forms of (Na+, K+)-ATPase in animal and human brain cortex. Those two forms, the neuronal and the non-neuronal or glial (Na+, K+)-ATPases, differ at least by their K+ regulation and their phenytoin sensitivity. Phenytoin studies also suggest that the drug stimulates the cortical (Na+, K+)-ATPase, mainly its glial form, providing central nervous system with an enhanced ability to regulate extracellular K+. In epileptic cortex, (Na+, K+)-ATPase and especially its glial form is altered in its K+ regulation and phenytoin sensitivity. That deficiency of glial (Na+, K+)-ATPase in focal epileptogenic cortex could be responsible for ictal transformation and seizure spread (Acta neurol. belg., 1988, 88, 257-280).