hymecromone and Seizures

The properties and distribution of beta-galactosidase were studied in the mouse brain using the artificial substrate methylumbelliferyl-beta-galactoside. Enzyme activities were compared between an audiogenic seizure-susceptible mouse strain (DBA/2) and three non-susceptible strains of mice (BALB/c, C3H/He and Swiss A2G). At all ages, DBA/2 mice have significantly lower beta-galactosidase activity compared with the three other mouse strains: this is attributed to the different alleles present at the Bgs locus. The low activity of beta-galactosidase is also evident when the natural substrate GMl-ganglioside is hydrolyzed. In contrast to this low GMl-ganglioside-beta-galactosidase activity, there is no difference in the activity of the second form of acid beta-galactosidase, galactosylceramidase, in DBA/2 mice at 7 and 14 days. However, at 21 and 28 days the activity is significantly lower in DBA/2 mice compared with the other strains of mice. These results on beta-galactosidase activity in the brain of seizure-susceptible and non-susceptible mice are discussed in relation to published levels of GMl-ganglioside and galactosylceramide present in the developing mouse brain.

Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Animals; beta-Galactosidase; Disease Susceptibility; Galactosidases; Galactosides; Galactosylceramides; Hymecromone; Lactosylceramides; Mice; Mice, Inbred A; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred DBA; Seizures; Species Specificity; Subcellular Fractions; Substrate Specificity