Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Network Analysis of Foramen Ovale Electrode Recordings in Drug-resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients
Published on: December 18, 2016
Subicular pyramidal neurons gate drug resistance in temporal lobe epilepsy
Cenglin Xu1, Yi Wang1, Shuo Zhang1
1Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Objective:
Drug-resistant epilepsy causes great clinical danger and still lacks effective treatments.
Methods:
Here, we used multifaceted approaches combining electrophysiology, optogenetics, and chemogenetics in a classic phenytoin-resistant epilepsy model to reveal the key target of subicular pyramidal neurons in phenytoin resistance.
Results:
In vivo neural recording showed that the firing rate of pyramidal neurons in the subiculum, but not other hippocampal subregions, could not be inhibited by phenytoin in phenytoin-resistant rats. Selective inhibition of subicular pyramidal neurons by optogenetics or chemogenetics reversed phenytoin resistance, whereas selective activation of subicular pyramidal neurons induced phenytoin resistance. Moreover, long-term low-frequency stimulation at the subiculum, which is clinically feasible, significantly inhibited the subicular pyramidal neurons and reversed phenytoin resistance. Furthermore, in vitro electrophysiology revealed that off-target use of phenytoin on sodium channels of subicular pyramidal neurons was involved in the phenytoin resistance, and clinical neuroimaging data suggested the volume of the subiculum in drug-resistant patients was related to the usage of sodium channel inhibitors.
Interpretation:
These results highlight that the subicular pyramidal neurons may be a key switch control of drug-resistant epilepsy and represent a new potential target for precise treatments. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:626-640.
Related Concept Videos
Lobes of the Cerebrum
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements....
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism
Underflow Gates
Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...
Non-gated Ion Channels
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism....
Resistivity

