What is it about?
In this paper, we report for the first time that hippocampal neuronal calcium levels are chronically elevated in a DFP-based Gulf War Illness rat model.
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Why is it important?
This is an important finding as it provides possible molecular mechanism for the development of Gulf War Illness neurological symptoms and offers potential targets for pharmacological manipulations that may ultimately help in developing effective therapeutics for Gulf War Illness neurobehavioral morbidities.
Perspectives
Studies have shown hippocampal dysfunction in Gulf War veterans. The hippocampus is a key part of the limbic system. It is essential in memory formation and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. Calcium ions act as major second messengers participating in cellular processes that affect mood and memory functions. In this study, we observed that hippocampal neurons isolated from DFP-exposed rats expressing GWI-like neurological morbidities exhibited significantly elevated calcium levels. Such protracted calcium elevations could activate multiple signaling pathways that produce neuronal injury and trigger nuclear signaling that may result in long-term plasticity changes that manifest as behavioral alterations observed in this GWI model.
Dr. Laxmikant Deshpande
Virginia Commonwealth University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Chronic Neurological Morbidities and Elevated Hippocampal Calcium Levels in a DFP-Based Rat Model of Gulf War Illness, Military Medicine, March 2018, Oxford University Press (OUP),
DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usx148.
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