Changes in TWIK-related Acid Sensitive K^sup +^-1 and -3 Channel Expressions from Neurons to Glia in the Hippocampus of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients and Experimental Animal Model

In the present study, we analyzed expressions of tandem of P domains in a Weak Inwardly rectifying K^sup +^ channel (TWIK)-related Acid-Sensitive K^sup +^ (TASK) channel-1 and -3 in the hippocampus of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and in rat model. In the control human subjects, TASK-1, and -3 immunoreactivity was observed in pyramidal neurons and dentate granule cells. In TLE patients, TASK-1 and -3 immunoreactivity was rarely observed in neurons. However, TASK-1 immunoreactivity was observed in astrocytes, and TASK-3 immunoreactivity was detected in both astrocytes and microglia. In the rat hippocampus, TASK-1 immunoreactivity was observed in astrocytes within normal and epileptic hippocampus. The alterations in TASK-3 immunoreactivity in the rat hippocampus were similar to those in the human hippocampus. These findings reveal that TASK-1 and -3 are differentially expressed in the normal and epileptic hippocampus, and suggest that TASK channels may contribute to the properties of the epileptic hippocampus.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]