Oxidative stress markers in the neocortex of drug-resistant epilepsy patients submitted to epilepsy surgery

Our findings in humans are in agreement with those found in animal models, supporting oxidative stress as a relevant mechanism also in human epilepsy. The concurrent increase in catalase and decrease in GPx, together with unchanged SOD levels, suggests catalase as the main antioxidant enzyme in human epileptic neocortex. The substantial increase in the levels of O2− and 8-oxo-dG in epileptic patients supports a connection between chronic seizures and ROS-mediated neural damage.