Anti-leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1 (anti-LGI1) encephalitis is one of the most frequently encountered forms of autoimmune encephalitis. Many patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis develop permanent hippocampal neuron loss and chronic neuropsychiatric symptoms, suggesting that LGI antibodies (Ab) might have a neurotoxic action. To investigate this hypothesis, purified serum IgG of three patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis and six healthy controls were incubated with cultured primary hippocampal neurons obtained from newborn mice. Nontreated cells were used as controls. The viability of IgG-treated neurons was evaluated by propidium iodide staining. Apoptotic mechanisms were assessed by JC-1 assay and mRNA expression level measurement of apoptosis-related genes using real-time PCR. The effect of IgG treatment on calcium influx was analyzed by fluo-4 calcium imaging. LGI1-Ab+ IgG increased the number of propidium iodide positive neurons, reduced mitochondrial membrane potentials, upregulated caspase-3 and Bax mRNA expression levels and downregulated Bcl-2 mRNA expression levels of neurons. LGI1-Ab+ IgG-treated neurons showed lower calcium staining than healthy controls IgG-treated and non-IgG-treated neurons. Our results indicate a neurotoxic role of LGI1-Ab. This neurotoxicity is likely mediated through induction of apoptosis and reduction of calcium currents.
Background: In high-risk newborns indirect hyperbilirubinemia can lead to acute bilirubin encephalopathy and kernicterus. Despite the current therapeutic modalities, preventing or reversing the neurotoxicity cannot be achieved in all infants. Objective: To investigate the neuroprotective effects of hypothermia on bilirubin-induced toxicity in primary mouse neuronal cell cultures. Methods: Hippocampal cell cultures, isolated from newborn mouse brains, were incubated with unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) at 3 days in vitro (DIV) and immediately exposed to varying degrees of hypothermia. Neuronal viability and mitochondrial health were compared between the normothermia (37°C), mild (34°C), moderate (32°C) and severe (29°C) hypothermia groups. Confocal microscopy and fluorescent dyes (propidium iodide and JC-1) were used for cell evaluation. To determine the late effects of hypothermia, the cultures were also examined at 7 DIV after returning to normothermic conditions. Results: Induction of any degree of hypothermia increased the neuronal survival after 24 h of UCB treatment. Neuronal death rate and mitochondrial membrane potential loss were lowest in the neurons exposed to moderate hypothermia. We also observed that mild to moderate hypothermia had late protective effects on neuronal cell viability, whereas deep hypothermia did not improve neuronal survival. Conclusions: We conclude that hypothermia reduces the cell death induced by bilirubin toxicity in neuronal cells. Although moderate hypothermia has a better outcome than mild hypothermia, deep hypothermia as low as 29°C has adverse effects on neuronal cell viability.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.