The AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX exerts anti-seizure but not antiepileptogenic effects in the intrahippocampal kainate mouse model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy

Advances in understanding the pathogenesis of epilepsy: Unraveling the molecular mechanisms: A cross-sectional study

Introduction

Epilepsy is characterized by having two or more unprovoked seizures. Understanding the pathogenesis of epilepsy, requires deep investigation into the molecular mechanisms. This helps develop diagnostic techniques, treatments, and pharmacotherapy. It also enhances precision medicine and individualized treatment processes. This article reviews all the molecular mechanisms predisposing to epileptogenesis, presents the current diagnostic techniques and drug therapy, and suggests future perspectives in treating Epilepsy in a more comprehensive and holistic approach.

Methodology

Four authors searched keywords concerning epilepsy at a molecular level, Epilepsy diagnostic techniques and technologies, and antiepileptic drug therapy and precision medicine. Separate search strategies were conducted for each concern and retrieved articles were reviewed for relevant results.

Results

The traditional diagnostic techniques for Epilepsy and its pathogenesis are insufficient in highlighting dynamic brain changes. For this, emerging technologies including genetic sequencing and profiling, and functional neuroimaging techniques are prevailing. Concerning treatment, the current approach focuses on managing symptoms and stopping seizures using antiseizure medications. However, their usage is limited by developing resistance to such drugs. Some therapies show promise, although most antiseizure drugs do not prevent epilepsy.

Discussion

Understanding epileptogenesis at a molecular and genetic level aids in developing new antiepileptic pharmacotherapy. The aim is to develop therapies that could prevent seizures or modify disease course, decreasing the severity and avoiding drug resistance. Gene therapy and precision medicine are promising but applications are limited due to the heterogeneity in studying the Epileptic brain, dynamically. The dynamic investigation of the epileptic brain with its comorbidities works hand-in-hand with precision medicine, in developing personalized treatment plans.

Leukocyte differential gene expression prognostic value for high versus low seizure frequency in temporal lobe epilepsy

BACKGROUND

This study was performed to test the hypothesis that systemic leukocyte gene expression has prognostic value differentiating low from high seizure frequency refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

METHODS

A consecutive series of patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy was studied. Based on a median baseline seizure frequency of 2.0 seizures per month, low versus high seizure frequency was defined as ≤ 2 seizures/month and > 2 seizures/month, respectively. Systemic leukocyte gene expression was analyzed for prognostic value for TLE seizure frequency. All differentially expressed genes were analyzed, with Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis (IPA®) and Reactome, to identify leukocyte gene expression and biological pathways with prognostic value for seizure frequency.

RESULTS

There were ten males and six females with a mean age of 39.4 years (range: 16 to 62 years, standard error of mean: 3.6 years). There were five patients in the high and eleven patients in the low seizure frequency cohorts, respectively. Based on a threshold of twofold change (p < 0.001, FC > 2.0, FDR < 0.05) and expression within at least two pathways from both Reactome and Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis (IPA®), 13 differentially expressed leukocyte genes were identified which were all over-expressed in the low when compared to the high seizure frequency groups, including NCF2, HMOX1, RHOB, FCGR2A, PRKCD, RAC2, TLR1, CHP1, TNFRSF1A, IFNGR1, LYN, MYD88, and CASP1. Similar analysis identified four differentially expressed genes which were all over-expressed in the high when compared to the low seizure frequency groups, including AK1, F2R, GNB5, and TYMS.

CONCLUSIONS

Low and high seizure frequency TLE are predicted by the respective upregulation and downregulation of specific leukocyte genes involved in canonical pathways of neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) inhibition, and AMPA and NMDA receptor signaling. Furthermore, high seizure frequency-TLE is distinguished prognostically from low seizure frequency-TLE by differentially increased specific leukocyte gene expression involved in GABA inhibition and NMDA receptor signaling. High and low seizure frequency patients appear to represent two mechanistically different forms of temporal lobe epilepsy based on leukocyte gene expression.

Socrates: A Novel N-Ethyl-N-nitrosourea-Induced Mouse Mutant with Audiogenic Epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the common neurological diseases that affects not only adults but also infants and children. Because epilepsy has been studied for a long time, there are several pharmacologically effective anticonvulsants, which, however, are not suitable as therapy for all patients. The genesis of epilepsy has been extensively investigated in terms of its occurrence after injury and as a concomitant disease with various brain diseases, such as tumors, ischemic events, etc. However, in the last decades, there are multiple reports that both genetic and epigenetic factors play an important role in epileptogenesis. Therefore, there is a need for further identification of genes and loci that can be associated with higher susceptibility to epileptic seizures. Use of mouse knockout models of epileptogenesis is very informative, but it has its limitations. One of them is due to the fact that complete deletion of a gene is not, in many cases, similar to human epilepsy-associated syndromes. Another approach to generating mouse models of epilepsy is N-Ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-directed mutagenesis. Recently, using this approach, we generated a novel mouse strain, soc (socrates, formerly s8-3), with epileptiform activity. Using molecular biology methods, calcium neuroimaging, and immunocytochemistry, we were able to characterize the strain. Neurons isolated from soc mutant brains retain the ability to differentiate in vitro and form a network. However, soc mutant neurons are characterized by increased spontaneous excitation activity. They also demonstrate a high degree of Ca2+ activity compared to WT neurons. Additionally, they show increased expression of NMDA receptors, decreased expression of the Ca2+-conducting GluA2 subunit of AMPA receptors, suppressed expression of phosphoinositol 3-kinase, and BK channels of the cytoplasmic membrane involved in protection against epileptogenesis. During embryonic and postnatal development, the expression of several genes encoding ion channels is downregulated in vivo, as well. Our data indicate that soc mutation causes a disruption of the excitation-inhibition balance in the brain, and it can serve as a mouse model of epilepsy.

MiR-324-5p inhibition after intrahippocampal kainic acid-induced status epilepticus does not prevent epileptogenesis in mice

Background

Acquired epilepsies are caused by an initial brain insult that is followed by epileptogenesis and finally the development of spontaneous recurrent seizures. The mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis are not fully understood. MicroRNAs regulate mRNA translation and stability and are frequently implicated in epilepsy. For example, antagonism of a specific microRNA, miR-324-5p, before brain insult and in a model of chronic epilepsy decreases seizure susceptibility and frequency, respectively. Here, we tested whether antagonism of miR-324-5p during epileptogenesis inhibits the development of epilepsy.

Methods

We used the intrahippocampal kainic acid (IHpKa) model to initiate epileptogenesis in male wild type C57BL/6 J mice aged 6-8 weeks. Twenty-four hours after IHpKa, we administered a miR-324-5p or scrambled control antagomir intracerebroventricularly and implanted cortical surface electrodes for EEG monitoring. EEG data was collected for 28 days and analyzed for seizure frequency and duration, interictal spike activity, and EEG power. Brains were collected for histological analysis.

Results

Histological analysis of brain tissue showed that IHpKa caused characteristic hippocampal damage in most mice regardless of treatment. Antagomir treatment did not affect latency to, frequency, or duration of spontaneous recurrent seizures or interictal spike activity but did alter the temporal development of frequency band-specific EEG power.

Conclusion

These results suggest that miR-324-5p inhibition during epileptogenesis induced by status epilepticus does not convey anti-epileptogenic effects despite having subtle effects on EEG frequency bands. Our results highlight the importance of timing of intervention across epilepsy development and suggest that miR-324-5p may act primarily as a proconvulsant rather than a pro-epileptogenic regulator.

Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-emerging role of AMPA and kainate subtypes of ionotropic glutamate receptors

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) mediate the majority of excitatory neurotransmission and are implicated in various neurological disorders. In this review, we discuss the role of the two fastest iGluRs subtypes, namely, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) and kainate receptors, in the pathogenesis and treatment of Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Although both AMPA and kainate receptors represent promising therapeutic targets for the treatment of these diseases, many of their antagonists show adverse side effects. Further studies of factors affecting the selective subunit expression and trafficking of AMPA and kainate receptors, and a reasonable approach to their regulation by the recently identified novel compounds remain promising directions for pharmacological research.

Structural and interaction analysis of human lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase with the poorly water-soluble drug NBQX

Lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS) is a secretory lipid-transporter protein that was shown to bind a wide variety of hydrophobic ligands in vitro. Exploiting this function, we previously examined the feasibility of using L-PGDS as a novel delivery vehicle for poorly water-soluble drugs. However, the mechanism by which human L-PGDS binds to poorly water-soluble drugs is unclear. In this study, we determined the solution structure of human L-PGDS and investigated the mechanism of L-PGDS binding to 6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo[f]quinoxalin-2,3-dione (NBQX), an α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid receptor antagonist. NMR experiments showed that human L-PGDS has an eight-stranded antiparallel β-barrel structure that forms a central cavity, a short 310 -helix and two α-helices. Titration with NBQX was monitored using 1 H-15 N HSQC spectroscopy. At higher NBQX concentrations, some cross-peaks of the protein exhibited fast-exchanging shifts with a curvature, indicating at least two binding sites. These residues were located in the upper portion of the cavity. Singular value decomposition analysis revealed that human L-PGDS has two NBQX binding sites. Large chemical shift changes were observed in the H2-helix and A-, B-, C-, D-, H- and I-strands and H2-helix upon NBQX binding. Calorimetric experiments revealed that human L-PGDS binds two NBQX molecules with dissociation constants of 46.7 μm for primary binding and 185.0 μm for secondary binding. Molecular docking simulations indicated that these NBQX binding sites are located within the β-barrel. These results provide new insights into the interaction between poorly water-soluble drugs and human L-PGDS as a drug carrier.

Long-term outcomes of classic and novel anti-seizure medication in a kainate-induced model of chronic epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

Intrahippocampal injection of kainate (KA) is a reliable model of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) that replicates spontaneous recurrent seizures. Both electrographic seizures and electroclinical seizure (most generalized seizure) can be detected in KA model. Electrographic seizures such as high-voltage sharp waves (HVSWs) and hippocampal paroxysmal discharges (HPDs) are far more common and attracting much attention. A comprehensive study on the anticonvulsant effects of classic and novel antiseizure medications (ASMs) on spontaneous electroclinical seizures, especially during long-term treatment, is still lacking. Here, we evaluated the effects of six ASMs in this model on electroclinical seizures over eight weeks.

METHODS

Using 24-hour continuous electroencephalographical (EEG) monitoring in free-moving mice, we tested the effectiveness of six ASMs (valproic acid, VPA; carbamazepine, CBZ; lamotrigine, LTG; perampanel, PER; brivaracetam, BRV; and everolimus, EVL) on the electroclinical seizures over eight weeks in the intrahippocampal kainate mouse model.

RESULTS

VPA, CBZ, LTG, PER and BRV significantly suppressed electroclinical seizures in the early stages of treatment, but the mice gradually developed resistance to these drugs. Overall, the mean frequency of electroclinical seizures was not significantly lower during the 8-week treatment than that at baseline in any ASM-treated group. The individual responses to ASMs varied widely.

CONCLUSION

Long-term treatment with VPA, LTG, CBZ, PER, BRV and EVL did not relieve electroclinical seizures in this TLE model. Additionally, the window for screening new ASMs in this model should be set to at least 3 weeks to account for drug resistance.

Emerging Molecular Targets for Anti-Epileptogenic and Epilepsy Modifying Drugs

The pharmacological treatment of epilepsy is purely symptomatic. Despite many decades of intensive research, causal treatment of this common neurologic disorder is still unavailable. Nevertheless, it is expected that advances in modern neuroscience and molecular biology tools, as well as improved animal models may accelerate designing antiepileptogenic and epilepsy-modifying drugs. Epileptogenesis triggers a vast array of genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic changes, which ultimately lead to morphological and functional transformation of specific neuronal circuits resulting in the occurrence of spontaneous convulsive or nonconvulsive seizures. Recent decades unraveled molecular processes and biochemical signaling pathways involved in the proepileptic transformation of brain circuits including oxidative stress, apoptosis, neuroinflammatory and neurotrophic factors. The "omics" data derived from both human and animal epileptic tissues, as well as electrophysiological, imaging and neurochemical analysis identified a plethora of possible molecular targets for drugs, which could interfere with various stages of epileptogenetic cascade, including inflammatory processes and neuroplastic changes. In this narrative review, we briefly present contemporary views on the neurobiological background of epileptogenesis and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of some more promising molecular targets for antiepileptogenic pharmacotherapy.

Kainate Receptor Antagonists: Recent Advances and Therapeutic Perspective

Since the 1990s, ionotropic glutamate receptors have served as an outstanding target for drug discovery research aimed at the discovery of new neurotherapeutic agents. With the recent approval of perampanel, the first marketed non-competitive antagonist of AMPA receptors, particular interest has been directed toward 'non-NMDA' (AMPA and kainate) receptor inhibitors. Although the role of AMPA receptors in the development of neurological or psychiatric disorders has been well recognized and characterized, progress in understanding the function of kainate receptors (KARs) has been hampered, mainly due to the lack of specific and selective pharmacological tools. The latest findings in the biology of KA receptors indicate that they are involved in neurophysiological activity and play an important role in both health and disease, including conditions such as anxiety, schizophrenia, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and migraine. Therefore, we reviewed recent advances in the field of competitive and non-competitive kainate receptor antagonists and their potential therapeutic applications. Due to the high level of structural divergence among the compounds described here, we decided to divide them into seven groups according to their overall structure, presenting a total of 72 active compounds.

Single-Target Versus Multi-Target Drugs Versus Combinations of Drugs With Multiple Targets: Preclinical and Clinical Evidence for the Treatment or Prevention of Epilepsy

Rationally designed multi-target drugs (also termed multimodal drugs, network therapeutics, or designed multiple ligands) have emerged as an attractive drug discovery paradigm in the last 10-20 years, as potential therapeutic solutions for diseases of complex etiology and diseases with significant drug-resistance problems. Such agents that modulate multiple targets simultaneously are developed with the aim of enhancing efficacy or improving safety relative to drugs that address only a single target or to combinations of single-target drugs. Although this strategy has been proposed for epilepsy therapy >25 years ago, to my knowledge, only one antiseizure medication (ASM), padsevonil, has been intentionally developed as a single molecular entity that could target two different mechanisms. This novel drug exhibited promising effects in numerous preclinical models of difficult-to-treat seizures. However, in a recent randomized placebo-controlled phase IIb add-on trial in treatment-resistant focal epilepsy patients, padsevonil did not separate from placebo in its primary endpoints. At about the same time, a novel ASM, cenobamate, exhibited efficacy in several randomized controlled trials in such patients that far surpassed the efficacy of any other of the newer ASMs. Yet, cenobamate was discovered purely by phenotype-based screening and its presumed dual mechanism of action was only described recently. In this review, I will survey the efficacy of single-target vs. multi-target drugs vs. combinations of drugs with multiple targets in the treatment and prevention of epilepsy. Most clinically approved ASMs already act at multiple targets, but it will be important to identify and validate new target combinations that are more effective in drug-resistant epilepsy and eventually may prevent the development or progression of epilepsy.

Kainate and AMPA receptors in epilepsy: Cell biology, signalling pathways and possible crosstalk

Epilepsy is caused when rhythmic neuronal network activity escapes normal control mechanisms, resulting in seizures. There is an extensive and growing body of evidence that the onset and maintenance of epilepsy involves alterations in the trafficking, synaptic surface expression and signalling of kainate and AMPA receptors (KARs and AMPARs). The KAR subunit GluK2 and AMPAR subunit GluA2 are key determinants of the properties of their respective assembled receptors. Both subunits are subject to extensive protein interactions, RNA editing and post-translational modifications. In this review we focus on the cell biology of GluK2-containing KARs and GluA2-containing AMPARs and outline how their regulation and dysregulation is implicated in, and affected by, seizure activity. Further, we discuss role of KARs in regulating AMPAR surface expression and plasticity, and the relevance of this to epilepsy. This article is part of the special issue on 'Glutamate Receptors - Kainate receptors'.

Perampanel, a potent AMPA receptor antagonist, protects against tetramethylenedisulfotetramine-induced seizures and lethality in mice: comparison with diazepam

Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TETS), a noncompetitive GABA_A receptor antagonist, is a potent, highly lethal convulsant that is considered to be a chemical threat agent. Here, we assessed the ability of the AMPA receptor antagonist perampanel to protect against TETS-induced seizures and lethality in mice when administered before or after treatment with the toxicant. For comparison, we conducted parallel testing with diazepam, which is a first-line treatment for chemically induced seizures in humans. Pre-treatment of mice with either perampanel (1–4 mg/kg, i.p.) or diazepam (1–5 mg/kg, i.p.) conferred protection in a dose-dependent fashion against tonic seizures and lethality following a dose of TETS (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) that rapidly induces seizures and death. The ED₅₀ values for protection against mortality were 1.6 mg/kg for perampanel and 2.1 mg/kg for diazepam. Clonic seizures were unaffected by perampanel and only prevented in a minority of animals by high-dose diazepam. Neither treatment prevented myoclonic body twitches. Perampanel and diazepam also conferred protection against tonic seizures and lethality when administered 15 min following a 0.14 mg/kg, i.p., dose of TETS and 5 min following a 0.2 mg/kg, i.p., dose of TETS. Both posttreatments were highly potent at reducing tonic seizures and lethality in animals exposed to the lower dose of TETS whereas greater doses of both treatments were required in animals exposed to the larger dose of TETS. Neither treatment was as effective suppressing clonic seizures. In an experiment where 0.4 mg/kg TETS was administered by oral gavage and the treatment drugs were administered 5 min later, perampanel only partially protected against lethality whereas diazepam produced nearly complete protection. We conclude that perampanel and diazepam protect against TETS-induced tonic seizures and lethality but have less impact on clonic seizures. Both drugs could have utility in the treatment of TETS intoxication but neither eliminates all seizure activity.

The Kainic Acid Models of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Experimental models of epilepsy are useful to identify potential mechanisms of epileptogenesis, seizure genesis, comorbidities, and treatment efficacy. The kainic acid (KA) model is one of the most commonly used. Several modes of administration of KA exist, each producing different effects in a strain-, species-, gender-, and age-dependent manner. In this review, we discuss the advantages and limitations of the various forms of KA administration (systemic, intrahippocampal, and intranasal), as well as the histologic, electrophysiological, and behavioral outcomes in different strains and species. We attempt a personal perspective and discuss areas where work is needed. The diversity of KA models and their outcomes offers researchers a rich palette of phenotypes, which may be relevant to specific traits found in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Systematic evaluation of rationally chosen multitargeted drug combinations: a combination of low doses of levetiracetam, atorvastatin and ceftriaxone exerts antiepileptogenic effects in a mouse model of acquired epilepsy

Epileptogenesis, the gradual process that leads to epilepsy after brain injury or genetic mutations, is a complex network phenomenon, involving a variety of morphological, biochemical and functional brain alterations. Although risk factors for developing epilepsy are known, there is currently no treatment available to prevent epilepsy. We recently proposed a multitargeted, network-based approach to prevent epileptogenesis by rationally combining clinically available drugs and provided first proof-of-concept that this strategy is effective. Here we evaluated eight novel rationally chosen combinations of 14 drugs with mechanisms that target different epileptogenic processes. The combinations consisted of 2-4 different drugs per combination and were administered systemically over 5 days during the latent epileptogenic period in the intrahippocampal kainate mouse model of acquired temporal lobe epilepsy, starting 6 h after kainate. Doses and dosing intervals were based on previous pharmacokinetic and tolerability studies in mice. The incidence and frequency of spontaneous electrographic and electroclinical seizures were recorded by continuous (24/7) video linked EEG monitoring done for seven days at 4 and 12 weeks post-kainate, i.e., long after termination of drug treatment. Compared to vehicle controls, the most effective drug combination consisted of low doses of levetiracetam, atorvastatin and ceftriaxone, which markedly reduced the incidence of electrographic seizures (by 60%; p<0.05) and electroclinical seizures (by 100%; p<0.05) recorded at 12 weeks after kainate. This effect was lost when higher doses of the three drugs were administered, indicating a synergistic drug-drug interaction at the low doses. The potential mechanisms underlying this interaction are discussed. We have discovered a promising novel multitargeted combination treatment for modifying the development of acquired epilepsy.

Perampanel reduces paroxysmal depolarizing shift and inhibitory synaptic input in excitatory neurons to inhibit epileptic network oscillations

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Perampanel is a newly approved anticonvulsant uniquely targeting AMPA receptors, which mediate the most abundant form of excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain. However, the network mechanism underlying the anti-epileptic effect of the AMPAergic inhibition remains to be explored.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

The mechanism of perampanel action was studied with the basolateral amygdala network containing pyramidal-inhibitory neuronal resonators in seizure models of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and electrical kindling.

KEY RESULTS

Application of either 4-AP or electrical kindling to the basolateral amygdala readily induces AMPAergic transmission-dependent reverberating activities between pyramidal-inhibitory neuronal resonators, which are chiefly characterized by burst discharges in inhibitory neurons and corresponding recurrent inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in pyramidal neurons. Perampanel reduces post-kindling "paroxysmal depolarizing shift" especially in pyramidal neurons and, counterintuitively, eliminates burst activities in inhibitory neurons and inhibitory synaptic inputs onto excitatory pyramidal neurons to result in prevention of epileptiform discharges and seizure behaviours. Intriguingly, similar effects can be obtained with not only the AMPA receptor antagonist CNQX but also the GABA_A receptor antagonist bicuculline, which is usually considered as a proconvulsant.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Ictogenesis depends on the AMPA receptor-dependent recruitment of pyramidal-inhibitory neuronal network oscillations tuned by dynamic glutamatergic and GABAergic transmission. The anticonvulsant effect of perampanel then stems from disruption of the coordinated network activities rather than simply decreased neuronal excitability or excitatory transmission. Positive or negative modulation of epileptic network reverberations may be pro-ictogenic or anti-ictogenic, respectively, constituting a more applicable rationale for the therapy against seizures.

Evaluation of subchronic administration of antiseizure drugs in spontaneously seizing rats

OBJECTIVE

Approximately 30% of patients with epilepsy do not experience full seizure control on their antiseizure drug (ASD) regimen. Historically, screening for novel ASDs has relied on evaluating efficacy following a single administration of a test compound in either acute electrical or chemical seizure induction. However, the use of animal models of spontaneous seizures and repeated administration of test compounds may better differentiate novel compounds. Therefore, this approach has been instituted as part of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program screening paradigm for pharmacoresistant epilepsy.

METHODS

Rats were treated with intraperitoneal kainic acid to induce status epilepticus and subsequent spontaneous recurrent seizures. After 12 weeks, rats were enrolled in drug screening studies. Using a 2-week crossover design, selected ASDs were evaluated for their ability to protect against spontaneous seizures, using a video-electroencephalographic monitoring system and automated seizure detection. Sixteen clinically available compounds were administered at maximally tolerated doses in this model. Dose intervals (1-3 treatments/d) were selected based on known half-lives for each compound.

RESULTS

Carbamazepine (90 mg/kg/d), phenobarbital (30 mg/kg/d), and ezogabine (15 mg/kg/d) significantly reduced seizure burden at the doses evaluated. In addition, a dose-response study of topiramate (20-600 mg/kg/d) demonstrated that this compound reduced seizure burden at both therapeutic and supratherapeutic doses. However, none of the 16 ASDs conferred complete seizure freedom during the testing period at the doses tested.

SIGNIFICANCE

Despite reductions in seizure burden, the lack of full seizure freedom for any ASD tested suggests that this screening paradigm may be useful for testing novel compounds with potential utility in pharmacoresistant epilepsy.

Neurodegenerative pathways as targets for acquired epilepsy therapy development

There is a growing body of clinical and experimental evidence that neurodegenerative diseases and epileptogenesis after an acquired brain insult may share common etiological mechanisms. Acquired epilepsy commonly develops as a comorbid condition in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, although it is likely much under diagnosed in practice. Progressive neurodegeneration has also been described after traumatic brain injury, stroke, and other forms of brain insults. Moreover, recent evidence has shown that acquired epilepsy is often a progressive disorder that is associated with the development of drug resistance, cognitive decline, and worsening of other neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Therefore, new pharmacological therapies that target neurobiological pathways that underpin neurodegenerative diseases have potential to have both an anti-epileptogenic and disease-modifying effect on the seizures in patients with acquired epilepsy, and also mitigate the progressive neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Here, we review the neurodegenerative pathways that are plausible targets for the development of novel therapies that could prevent the development or modify the progression of acquired epilepsy, and the supporting published experimental and clinical evidence.

A face-to-face comparison of the intra-amygdala and intrahippocampal kainate mouse models of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and their utility for testing novel therapies

OBJECTIVE

Intracranial (intrahippocampal or intra-amygdala) administration of kainate in rodents leads to spatially restricted brain injury and development of focal epilepsy with characteristics that resemble mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Such rodent models are used both in the search for more effective antiseizure drugs (ASDs) and in the development of antiepileptogenic strategies. However, it is not clear which of the models is best suited for testing different types of epilepsy therapies.

METHODS

In the present study, we performed a face-to-face comparison of the intra-amygdala kainate (IAK) and intrahippocampal kainate (IHK) mouse models using the same mouse inbred strain (C57BL/6). For comparison, some experiments were performed in mouse outbred strains.

RESULTS

Intra-amygdala kainate injection led to more severe status epilepticus and higher mortality than intrahippocampal injection. In male C57BL/6 mice, the latent period to spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRSs) was short or absent in both models, whereas a significantly longer latent period was determined in NMRI and CD-1 outbred mice. When SRSs were recorded from the ipsilateral hippocampus, relatively frequent electroclinical seizures were determined in the IAK model, whereas only infrequent electroclinical seizures but extremely frequent focal electrographic seizures were determined in the IHK model. As a consequence of the differences in SRS frequency, prolonged video-electroencephalographic monitoring and drug administration were needed for testing efficacy of the benchmark ASD carbamazepine in the IAK model, whereas acute drug testing was possible in the IHK model. In both models, carbamazepine was only effective at high doses, indicating ASD resistance to this benchmark drug.

SIGNIFICANCE

We found a variety of significant differences between the IAK and IHK models, which are important when deciding which of these models is best suited for studies on novel epilepsy therapies. The IAK model appears particularly interesting for studies on disease-modifying treatments, whereas the IHK model is well suited for studying the antiseizure activity of novel ASDs against difficult-to-treated focal seizures.

Proof-of-concept that network pharmacology is effective to modify development of acquired temporal lobe epilepsy

Epilepsy is a complex network phenomenon that, as yet, cannot be prevented or cured. We recently proposed network-based approaches to prevent epileptogenesis. For proof of concept we combined two drugs (levetiracetam and topiramate) for which in silico analysis of drug-protein interaction networks indicated a synergistic effect on a large functional network of epilepsy-relevant proteins. Using the intrahippocampal kainate mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy, the drug combination was administered during the latent period before onset of spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS). When SRS were periodically recorded by video-EEG monitoring after termination of treatment, a significant decrease in incidence and frequency of SRS was determined, indicating antiepileptogenic efficacy. Such efficacy was not observed following single drug treatment. Furthermore, a combination of levetiracetam and phenobarbital, for which in silico analysis of drug-protein interaction networks did not indicate any significant drug-drug interaction, was not effective to modify development of epilepsy. Surprisingly, the promising antiepileptogenic effect of the levetiracetam/topiramate combination was obtained in the absence of any significant neuroprotective or anti-inflammatory effects as indicated by multimodal brain imaging and histopathology. High throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) of the ipsilateral hippocampus of mice treated with the levetiracetam/topiramate combination showed that several genes that have been linked previously to epileptogenesis, were significantly differentially expressed, providing interesting entry points for future mechanistic studies. Overall, we have discovered a novel combination treatment with promise for prevention of epilepsy.

Effectiveness and safety of perampanel in adults with mesial temporal epilepsy: A single-center postmarketing study in Taiwan

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is a common epilepsy syndrome often refractory to antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of perampanel (PER) as add-on treatment for patients of MTLE.We pooled retrospective data from adult patients with MTLE, from a tertiary center in Taiwan, who were prescribed PER between March 2016 and December 2016. The retention, responder, and seizure-free rate as well as the treatment emergent adverse events were assessed after 6 months of PER adjunctive treatment in this single-center postmarketing study.Review of medical records revealed that adequate data were available for 44 patients who were being administered PER (mean age: 42.0 ± 13.3 years, 24 females; baseline mean seizure frequency: 5.4 per 28 days). Twelve patients exhibited hippocampal sclerosis (HS). Open-label PER was added to ongoing medications. Twelve patients withdrew because of ineffectiveness (n = 6) or adverse effects (n = 6). The retention rate was 72.7% at 6 months. On final evaluation, with a mean PER dose of 5.7 mg/day for 6 months, a ≥50% reduction in seizure frequency was observed in 46.9% of the patients, and 5 patients became seizure-free. The effectiveness was similar for patients with or without HS. Twenty-three patients (52.3%) experienced adverse effects. The most common adverse effects were dizziness, ataxia, and irritability.Our results suggest that PER, at doses of 2 to 12 mg/day, reduces seizure frequency effectively with acceptable safety profiles for adults with MTLE.

Co-administration of Anti microRNA-124 and -137 Oligonucleotides Prevents Hippocampal Neural Stem Cell Loss Upon Non-convulsive Seizures

Convulsive seizures promote adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) through a transient activation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus (DG). However, in a significant population of epilepsy patients, non-convulsive seizures (ncSZ) are observed. The response of NSPCs to non-convulsive seizure induction has not been characterized before. We here studied first the short-term effects of controlled seizure induction on NSPCs fate and identity. We induced seizures of controlled intensity by intrahippocampally injecting increasing doses of the chemoconvulsant kainic acid (KA) and analyzed their effect on subdural EEG recordings, hippocampal structure, NSPC proliferation and the number and location of immature neurons shortly after seizure onset. After establishing a KA dose that elicits ncSZ, we then analyzed the effects of ncSZ on NSPC proliferation and NSC identity in the hippocampus. ncSZ specifically triggered neuroblast proliferation, but did not induce proliferation of NSPCs in the SGZ, 3 days post seizure onset. However, ncSZ induced significant changes in NSPC composition in the hippocampus, including the generation of reactive NSCs. Interestingly, intrahippocampal injection of a combination of two anti microRNA oligonucleotides targeting microRNA-124 and -137 normalized neuroblast proliferation and prevented NSC loss in the DG upon ncSZ. Our results show for the first time that ncSZ induce significant changes in neuroblast proliferation and NSC composition. Simultaneous antagonism of both microRNA-124 and -137 rescued seizure-induced alterations in NSPC, supporting their coordinated action in the regulation of NSC fate and proliferation and their potential for future seizure therapies.

Perampanel: Does it have broad-spectrum potential?

This article reviews the profile of perampanel, a novel noncompetitive α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA) receptor antagonist, and its role as a potential broad-spectrum antiepileptic drug in the treatment of epilepsy. For this narrative review, data were collected using specified search criteria. Articles reporting the evidence for perampanel's efficacy from preclinical models, phase 3 clinical studies, observational studies, and descriptive evidence were included. AMPA receptors play a key role in mediating the action of glutamate at the excitatory synapse. Preclinical research showed the AMPA receptor blockade to constitute a promising target for antiepileptic drug therapy. In animal models, perampanel proved to be protective against seizures and reduce seizure severity and duration. Four phase-3 randomized controlled trials (3 in patients with focal seizures and one in primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in idiopathic generalized epilepsy) have been completed. In focal (partial) onset seizures, perampanel (4, 8, and 12 mg) significantly reduced seizure frequency per 28 days (23.3%-28.8% vs 12.8%; P < .01) and responder rates (≥50% reduction in seizures) (28.5%-35.3% vs 19.3%; P < .05) compared with placebo. In primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, perampanel 8 mg resulted in greater reduction in seizure frequency per 28 days (-76.5% vs -38.4%; P < .0001) and responder rate (64.2% vs 39.5%; P = .0019) than placebo. The efficacy, safety, and tolerability of perampanel have been reproduced in real-world clinical practice, and the agent has been shown to be effective in other epilepsy syndromes. Perampanel is a potentially broad-spectrum antiepileptic drug with a novel mechanism of action that may be a useful addition for patients with epilepsy with various seizure types. The availability of novel antiepileptic drugs for epilepsy treatment enables more individualized treatment for these patients.

Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs on Spontaneous Recurrent Seizures in a Novel Model of Extended Hippocampal Kindling in Mice

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterized by naturally-occurring spontaneous recurrent seizures and comorbidities. Kindling has long been used to model epileptogenic mechanisms and to assess antiepileptic drugs. In particular, extended kindling can induce spontaneous recurrent seizures without gross brain lesions, as seen clinically. To date, the development of spontaneous recurrent seizures following extended kindling, and the effect of the antiepileptic drugs on these seizures are not well understood. In the present study we aim to develop a mouse model of extended hippocampal kindling for the first time. Once established, we plan to evaluate the effect of three different antiepileptic drugs on the development of the extended-hippocampal-kindled-induced spontaneous recurrent seizures. Male C57 black mice were used for chronic hippocampal stimulations or handling manipulations (twice daily for up to 70 days). Subsequently, animals underwent continuous video/EEG monitoring for seizure detection. Spontaneous recurrent seizures were consistently observed in extended kindled mice but no seizures were detected in the control animals. The aforementioned seizures were generalized events characterized by hippocampal ictal discharges and concurrent motor seizures. Incidence and severity of the seizures was relatively stable while monitored over a few months after termination of the hippocampal stimulation. Three antiepileptic drugs with distinct action mechanisms were tested: phenytoin, lorazepam and levetiracetam. They were applied via intra-peritoneal injections at anticonvulsive doses and their effects on the spontaneous recurrent seizures were analyzed 10-12 h post-injection. Phenytoin (25 mg/kg) and levetiracetam (400 mg/kg) abolished the spontaneous recurrent seizures. Lorazepam (1.5 mg/kg) decreased motor seizure severity but did not reduce the incidence and duration of corresponding hippocampal discharges, implicating its inhibitory effects on seizure spread. No gross brain lesions were observed in a set of extended hippocampal kindled mice submitted to histological evaluation. All these data suggests that our model could be considered as a novel mouse model of extended hippocampal kindling. Some limitations remain to be considered.

Endophilin A1 mediates seizure activity via regulation of AMPARs in a PTZ-kindled epileptic mouse model

Endophilin A1 is a member of the endophilin A family and is primarily expressed in the central nervous system. Endophilin A1 can mediate neuronal excitability by regulating neuronal synaptic plasticity, which indicates that the protein may be involved in epilepsy. However, to date, its role in epilepsy remains unclear. To explore the role of endophilin A1 in epilepsy, we aimed to investigate the expression patterns of endophilin A1 in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and in a pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-kindled epileptic mouse model and to conduct behavioral and electrophysiological analyses after lentivirus-mediated knockdown of endophilin A1 in the hippocampus of epileptic mice. This study found that the expression of endophilin A1 was significantly up-regulated in the temporal neocortex of TLE patients and in the hippocampus and adjacent temporal cortex of the PTZ-kindled epileptic mouse model. Behavioral analyses indicated that knockdown of endophilin A1 in the mouse hippocampus increased the latency of the first seizure and reduced the frequency and duration of seizure activity. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of pyramidal neurons in the hippocampal CA3 area indicated that knockdown of endophilin A1 in the mouse hippocampus resulted in a reduced frequency of action potentials and decreased amplitudes of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) and evoked AMPA-dependent EPSCs. Moreover, western blotting analysis showed that the surface expression of the AMPAR GluR2 subunit was also decreased after endophilin A1 knockdown, and co-immunoprecipitation indicated an association between endophilin A1 and AMPAR GluR2 in the mouse hippocampus. Further, when AMPARs were activated by CX546, the antiepileptic function of endophilin A1 knockdown was decreased. Based on these results, endophilin A1 plays a critical role in epilepsy, and its suppression in the mouse hippocampus can restrain neuronal excitability and seizure activity via regulating AMPARs.

Comparing the Antiseizure and Neuroprotective Efficacy of LY293558, Diazepam, Caramiphen, and LY293558-Caramiphen Combination against Soman in a Rat Model Relevant to the Pediatric Population

The currently Food and Drug Administration-approved anticonvulsant for the treatment of status epilepticus (SE) induced by nerve agents is the benzodiazepine diazepam; however, diazepam does not appear to offer neuroprotective benefits. This is of particular concern with respect to the protection of children because, in the developing brain, synaptic transmission mediated via GABA_A receptors, the target of diazepam, is weak. In the present study, we exposed 21-day-old male rats to 1.2 × LD₅₀ soman and compared the antiseizure, antilethality, and neuroprotective efficacy of diazepam (10 mg/kg), LY293558 (an AMPA/GluK1 receptor antagonist; 15 mg/kg), caramiphen (CRM, an antimuscarinic with NMDA receptor-antagonistic properties; 50 mg/kg), and LY293558 (15 mg/kg) + CRM (50 mg/kg), administered 1 hour after exposure. Diazepam, LY293558, and LY293558 + CRM, but not CRM alone, terminated SE; LY293558 + CRM treatment acted significantly faster and produced a survival rate greater than 85%. Thirty days after soman exposure, neurodegeneration in limbic regions was most severe in the CRM-treated group, minimal to severe-depending on the region-in the diazepam group, absent to moderate in the LY293558-treated group, and totally absent in the LY293558 + CRM group. Amygdala and hippocampal atrophy, a severe reduction in spontaneous inhibitory activity in the basolateral amygdala, and increased anxiety-like behavior in the open-field and acoustic startle response tests were present in the diazepam and CRM groups, whereas the LY293558 and LY293558 + CRM groups did not differ from controls. The combined administration of LY293558 and CRM, by blocking mainly AMPA, GluK1, and NMDA receptors, is a very effective anticonvulsant and neuroprotective therapy against soman in young rats.

A combination of NMDA and AMPA receptor antagonists retards granule cell dispersion and epileptogenesis in a model of acquired epilepsy

Epilepsy may arise following acute brain insults, but no treatments exist that prevent epilepsy in patients at risk. Here we examined whether a combination of two glutamate receptor antagonists, NBQX and ifenprodil, acting at different receptor subtypes, exerts antiepileptogenic effects in the intrahippocampal kainate mouse model of epilepsy. These drugs were administered over 5 days following kainate. Spontaneous seizures were recorded by video/EEG at different intervals up to 3 months. Initial trials showed that drug treatment during the latent period led to higher mortality than treatment after onset of epilepsy, and further, that combined therapy with both drugs caused higher mortality at doses that appear safe when used singly. We therefore refined the combined-drug protocol, using lower doses. Two weeks after kainate, significantly less mice of the NBQX/ifenprodil group exhibited electroclinical seizures compared to vehicle controls, but this effect was lost at subsequent weeks. The disease modifying effect of the treatment was associated with a transient prevention of granule cell dispersion and less neuronal degeneration in the dentate hilus. These data substantiate the involvement of altered glutamatergic transmission in the early phase of epileptogenesis. Longer treatment with NBQX and ifenprodil may shed further light on the apparent temporal relationship between dentate gyrus reorganization and development of spontaneous seizures.

Continuous Monitoring via Tethered Electroencephalography of Spontaneous Recurrent Seizures in Mice

We describe here a simple, cost-effective apparatus for continuous tethered electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring of spontaneous recurrent seizures in mice. We used a small, low torque slip ring as an EEG commutator, mounted the slip ring onto a standard mouse cage and connected rotary wires of the slip ring directly to animal's implanted headset. Modifications were made in the cage to allow for a convenient installation of the slip ring and accommodation of animal ambient activity. We tested the apparatus for hippocampal EEG recordings in adult C57 black mice. Spontaneous recurrent seizures were induced using extended hippocampal kindling (≥95 daily stimulation). Control animals underwent similar hippocampal electrode implantations but no stimulations were given. Combined EEG and webcam monitoring were performed for 24 h daily for 5–9 consecutive days. During the monitoring periods, the animals moved and accessed water and food freely and showed no apparent restriction in ambient cage activities. Ictal-like hippocampal EEG discharges and concurrent convulsive behaviors that are characteristics of spontaneous recurrent seizures were reliably recorded in a majority of the monitoring experiments in extendedly kindled but not in control animals. However, 1–2 rotary wires were disconnected from the implanted headset in some animals after continuous recordings for ≥5 days. The key features and main limitations of our recording apparatus are discussed.

Intracerebral delivery of the M2 polarizing cytokine interleukin 13 using mesenchymal stem cell implants in a model of temporal lobe epilepsy in mice

OBJECTIVES

Neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. We aimed to evaluate whether intracerebral transplantation of interleukin 13-producing mesenchymal stem cells (IL-13 MSCs) induces an M2 microglia/macrophage activation phenotype in the hippocampus with an epileptogenic insult, thereby providing a neuroprotective environment with reduced epileptogenesis.

METHODS

Genetically engineered syngeneic IL-13 MSCs or vehicle was injected within the hippocampus 1 week before the intrahippocampal kainic acid-induced status epilepticus (SE) in C57BL/6J mice. Neuroinflammation was evaluated at disease onset as well as during the chronic epilepsy period (9 weeks). In addition, continuous video-electroencephalography (EEG) (vEEG) monitoring was obtained during the chronic epilepsy period (between 6 and 9 weeks after SE).

RESULTS

Evaluation of vEEG recordings suggested that IL-13 MSC grafts did not affect the severity and duration of SE or the seizure burden during the chronic epilepsy period, when compared to the vehicle treated SE mice. An M2-activation phenotype was induced in microglia/macrophages that infiltrated the -13 MSC graft site, as evidenced by the arginase1 expression at the graft site at both the 2-week and 9-week time-points. However, M2-activated immune cells were rarely observed outside the graft site and, accordingly, the neuroinflammatory response or cell loss related to SE induction was not altered by IL-13 MSC grafting. Moreover, an increase in the proportion of F4/80⁺ cells was observed in the IL-13 MSC group compared to the controls.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our data suggest that MSC-based IL-13 delivery to induce M2 glial activation does not provide any neuroprotective or disease-modifying effects in a mouse model of epilepsy. Moreover, use of cell grafting to deliver bioactive compounds for modulating neuroinflammation may have confounding effects in disease pathology of epilepsy due to the additional immune response generated by the grafted cells.

Various modifications of the intrahippocampal kainate model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy in rats fail to resolve the marked rat-to-mouse differences in type and frequency of spontaneous seizures in this model

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common type of acquired epilepsy in adults. TLE can develop after diverse brain insults, including traumatic brain injury, infections, stroke, or prolonged status epilepticus (SE). Post-SE rodent models of TLE are widely used to understand mechanisms of epileptogenesis and develop treatments for epilepsy prevention. In this respect, the intrahippocampal kainate model of TLE in mice is of interest, because highly frequent spontaneous electrographic seizures develop in the kainate focus, allowing evaluation of both anti-seizure and anti-epileptogenic effects of novel drugs with only short EEG recording periods, which is not possible in any other model of TLE, including the intrahippocampal kainate model in rats. In the present study, we investigated whether the marked mouse-to-rat difference in occurrence and frequency of spontaneous seizures is due to a species difference or to technical variables, such as anesthesia during kainate injection, kainate dose, or location of kainate injection and EEG electrode in the hippocampus. When, as in the mouse model, anesthesia was used during kainate injection, only few rats developed epilepsy, although severity or duration of SE was not affected by isoflurane. In contrast, most rats developed epilepsy when kainate was injected without anesthesia. However, frequent electrographic seizures as observed in mice did not occur in rats, irrespective of location of kainate injection (CA1, CA3) or EEG recording electrode (CA1, CA3, dentate gyrus) or dose of kainate injected. These data indicate marked phenotypic differences between mice and rats in this model. Further studies should explore the mechanisms underlying this species difference.

The intrahippocampal kainate mouse model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy: Lack of electrographic seizure-like events in sham controls

Objective

There is an ongoing debate about definition of seizures in experimental models of acquired epilepsy and how important adequate sham controls are in this respect. For instance, several mouse and rat strains exhibit high-voltage rhythmic spike or spike-wave discharges in the cortical electroencephalogram (EEG), which has to be considered when using such strains for induction of epilepsy by status epilepticus, traumatic brain injury, or other means. Mice developing spontaneous recurrent nonconvulsive and convulsive seizures after intrahippocampal injection of kainate are increasingly being used as a model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. We performed a prospective study in which EEG alterations occurring in this model were compared with the EEGs in appropriate sham controls, using hippocampal electrodes and video-EEG monitoring.

Methods

Experiments with intrahippocampal kainate (or saline) injections started when mice were about 8 weeks of age. Continuous video-EEG recording via hippocampal electrodes was performed 6 weeks after surgery in kainate-injected mice and sham controls, that is, at an age of about 14 weeks. Three days of continuous video-EEG monitoring were compared between kainate-injected mice and experimental controls.

Results

As reported previously, kainate-injected mice exhibited two types of highly frequent electrographic seizures: high-voltage sharp waves, which were often monomorphic, and polymorphic hippocampal paroxysmal discharges. In addition, generalized convulsive clinical seizures were infrequently observed. None of these electrographic or electroclinical seizures were observed in sham controls. The only infrequently observed EEG abnormalities in sham controls were isolated spikes or spike clusters, which were also recorded in epileptic mice.

Significance

This study rigorously demonstrates, by explicit comparison with the EEGs of sham controls, that the nonconvulsive paroxysmal events observed in this model are consequences of the induced epilepsy and not features of the EEG expected to be seen in some experimental control mice or unintentionally induced by surgical procedures.

AMPA Receptor Antagonist NBQX Decreased Seizures by Normalization of Perineuronal Nets

Epilepsy is a serious brain disorder with diverse seizure types and epileptic syndromes. AMPA receptor antagonist 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzoquinoxaline-2,3-dione (NBQX) attenuates spontaneous recurrent seizures in rats. However, the anti-epileptic effect of NBQX in chronic epilepsy model is poorly understood. Perineuronal nets (PNNs), specialized extracellular matrix structures, surround parvalbumin-positive inhibitory interneurons, and play a critical role in neuronal cell development and synaptic plasticity. Here, we focused on the potential involvement of PNNs in the treatment of epilepsy by NBQX. Rats were intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with pentylenetetrazole (PTZ, 50 mg/kg) for 28 consecutive days to establish chronic epilepsy models. Subsequently, NBQX (20 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected for 3 days for the observation of behavioral measurements of epilepsy. The Wisteria floribundi agglutinin (WFA)-labeled PNNs were measured by immunohistochemical staining to evaluate the PNNs. The levels of three components of PNNs such as tenascin-R, aggrecan and neurocan were assayed by Western blot assay. The results showed that there are reduction of PNNs and decrease of tenascin-R, aggrecan and neurocan in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the rats injected with PTZ. However, NBQX treatment normalized PNNs, tenascin-R, aggrecan and neurocan levels. NBQX was sufficient to decrease seizures through increasing the latency to seizures, decrease the duration of seizure onset, and reduce the scores for the severity of seizures. Furthermore, the degradation of mPFC PNNs by chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) exacerbated seizures in PTZ-treated rats. Finally, the anti-epileptic effect of NBQX was reversed by pretreatment with ChABC into mPFC. These findings revealed that PNNs degradation in mPFC is involved in the pathophysiology of epilepsy and enhancement of PNNs may be effective for the treatment of epilepsy.

Ketamine-mediated afferent-specific presynaptic transmission blocks in low-threshold and sex-specific subpopulation of myelinated Ah-type baroreceptor neurons of rats

Background

Ketamine enhances autonomic activity, and unmyelinated C-type baroreceptor afferents are more susceptible to be blocked by ketamine than myelinated A-types. However, the presynaptic transmission block in low-threshold and sex-specific myelinated Ah-type baroreceptor neurons (BRNs) is not elucidated.

Methods

Action potentials (APs) and excitatory post-synaptic currents (EPSCs) were investigated in BRNs/barosensitive neurons identified by conduction velocity (CV), capsaicin-conjugated with Iberiotoxin-sensitivity and fluorescent dye using intact nodose slice and brainstem slice in adult female rats. The expression of mRNA and targeted protein for NMDAR1 was also evaluated.

Results

Ketamine time-dependently blocked afferent CV in Ah-types in nodose slice with significant changes in AP discharge. The concentration-dependent inhibition of ketamine on AP discharge profiles were also assessed and observed using isolated Ah-type BRNs with dramatic reduction in neuroexcitability. In brainstem slice, the 2^nd-order capsaicin-resistant EPSCs were identified and ∼50% of them were blocked by ketamine concentration-dependently with IC₅₀ estimated at 84.4 μM compared with the rest (708.2 μM). Interestingly, the peak, decay time constant, and area under curve of EPSCs were significantly enhanced by 100 nM iberiotoxin in ketamine-more sensitive myelinated NTS neurons (most likely Ah-types), rather than ketamine-less sensitive ones (A-types).

Conclusions

These data have demonstrated, for the first time, that low-threshold and sex-specific myelinated Ah-type BRNs in nodose and Ah-type barosensitive neurons in NTS are more susceptible to ketamine and may play crucial roles in not only mean blood pressure regulation but also buffering dynamic changes in pressure, as well as the ketamine-mediated cardiovascular dysfunction through sexual-dimorphic baroreflex afferent pathway.

Dynamic causal modelling of seizure activity in a rat model

This paper presents a physiological account of seizure activity and its evolution over time using a rat model of induced epilepsy. We analyse spectral activity recorded in the hippocampi of three rats who received kainic acid injections in the right hippocampus. We use dynamic causal modelling of seizure activity and Bayesian model reduction to identify the key synaptic and connectivity parameters that underlie seizure onset. Using recent advances in hierarchical modelling (parametric empirical Bayes), we characterise seizure onset in terms of slow fluctuations in synaptic excitability of specific neuronal populations. Our results suggest differences in the pathophysiology - of seizure activity in the lesioned versus the non-lesioned hippocampus - with pronounced changes in excitation-inhibition balance and temporal summation on the lesioned side. In particular, our analyses suggest that marked reductions in the synaptic time constant of the deep pyramidal cells and the self-inhibition of inhibitory interneurons (in the lesioned hippocampus) are sufficient to explain changes in spectral activity. Although these synaptic changes are consistent over rats, the resulting electrophysiological phenotype can be quite diverse.

Early-life seizures alter synaptic calcium-permeable AMPA receptor function and plasticity

Calcium (Ca²⁺)-mediated⁴ signaling pathways are critical to synaptic plasticity. In adults, the NMDA glutamate receptor (NMDAR) represents a major route for activity-dependent synaptic Ca²⁺ entry. However, during neonatal development, when synaptic plasticity is particularly high, many AMPA glutamate receptors (AMPARs) are also permeable to Ca²⁺ (CP-AMPAR) due to low GluA2 subunit expression, providing an additional route for activity- and glutamate-dependent Ca²⁺ influx and subsequent signaling. Therefore, altered hippocampal Ca²⁺ signaling may represent an age-specific pathogenic mechanism. We thus aimed to assess Ca²⁺ responses 48h after hypoxia-induced neonatal seizures (HS) in postnatal day (P)10 rats, a post-seizure time point at which we previously reported LTP attenuation. We found that Ca²⁺ responses were higher in brain slices from post-HS rats than in controls and that this increase was CP-AMPAR-dependent. To determine whether synaptic CP-AMPAR expression was also altered post-HS, we assessed the expression of GluA2 at hippocampal synapses and the expression of long-term depression (LTD), which has been linked to the presence of synaptic GluA2. Here we report a decrease 48h after HS in synaptic GluA2 expression at synapses and LTD in hippocampal CA1. Given the potentially critical role of AMPAR trafficking in disease progression, we aimed to establish whether post-seizure in vivo AMPAR antagonist treatment prevented the enhanced Ca²⁺ responses, changes in GluA2 synaptic expression, and diminished LTD. We found that NBQX treatment prevents all three of these post-seizure consequences, further supporting a critical role for AMPARs as an age-specific therapeutic target.

Mechanisms of Action of Antiseizure Drugs and the Ketogenic Diet

Antiseizure drugs (ASDs), also termed antiepileptic drugs, are the main form of symptomatic treatment for people with epilepsy, but not all patients become free of seizures. The ketogenic diet is one treatment option for drug-resistant patients. Both types of therapy exert their clinical effects through interactions with one or more of a diverse set of molecular targets in the brain. ASDs act by modulation of voltage-gated ion channels, including sodium, calcium, and potassium channels; by enhancement of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated inhibition through effects on GABAA receptors, the GABA transporter 1 (GAT1) GABA uptake transporter, or GABA transaminase; through interactions with elements of the synaptic release machinery, including synaptic vesicle 2A (SV2A) and α2δ; or by blockade of ionotropic glutamate receptors, including α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA) receptors. The ketogenic diet leads to increases in circulating ketones, which may contribute to the efficacy in treating pharmacoresistant seizures. Production in the brain of inhibitory mediators, such as adenosine, or ion channel modulators, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, may also play a role. Metabolic effects, including diversion from glycolysis, are a further postulated mechanism. For some ASDs and the ketogenic diet, effects on multiple targets may contribute to activity. Better understanding of the ketogenic diet will inform the development of improved drug therapies to treat refractory seizures.

NBQX, a highly selective competitive antagonist of AMPA and KA ionotropic glutamate receptors, increases seizures and mortality following picornavirus infection

Seizures occur due to an imbalance between excitation and inhibition, with the balance tipping towards excitation, and glutamate is the predominant excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of mammals. Since upregulation of expression and/or function of glutamate receptors can contribute to seizures we determined the effects of three antagonists, NBQX, GYKI-52466 and MK 801, of the various ionotropic glutamate receptors, AMPA, NMDA and KA, on acute seizure development in the Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)-induced seizure model. We found that only NBQX had an effect on acute seizure development, resulting in a significantly higher number of mice experiencing seizures, an increase in the number of seizures per mouse, a greater cumulative seizure score per mouse and a significantly higher mortality rate among the mice. Although NBQX has previously been shown to be a potent anticonvulsant in animal seizure models, seizures induced by electrical stimulation, drug administration or as a result of genetic predisposition may differ greatly in terms of mechanism of seizure development from our virus-induced seizure model, which could explain the opposite, proconvulsant effect of NBQX observed in the TMEV-induced seizure model.

Network pharmacology for antiepileptogenesis: Tolerability of multitargeted drug combinations in nonepileptic vs. post-status epilepticus mice

Prevention of symptomatic epilepsy ("antiepileptogenesis") in patients at risk is a major unmet clinical need. Several drugs underwent clinical trials for epilepsy prevention, but none of the drugs tested was effective. Similarly, most previous preclinical attempts to develop antiepileptogenic strategies failed. In the majority of studies, drugs were given as monotherapy. However, epilepsy is a complex network phenomenon, so that it is unlikely that a single drug can halt epileptogenesis. We recently proposed multitargeted approaches ("network pharmacology") to interfere with epileptogenesis. One strategy, which, if effective, would allow a relatively rapid translation into the clinic, is developing novel combinations of clinically used drugs with diverse mechanisms that are potentially relevant for antiepileptogenesis. In order to test this strategy preclinically, we developed an algorithm for testing such drug combinations, which was inspired by the established drug development phases in humans. As a first step of this algorithm, tolerability of four rationally chosen, repeatedly administered drug combinations was evaluated by a large test battery in mice: A, levetiracetam and phenobarbital; B, valproate, losartan, and memantine; C, levetiracetam and topiramate; and D, levetiracetam, parecoxib, and anakinra. As in clinical trials, tolerability was separately evaluated before starting efficacy experiments to identify any adverse effects of the combinations that may critically limit the successful translation of preclinical findings to the clinic. Except combination B, all drug cocktails were relatively well tolerated. Based on previous studies, we expected that tolerability would be lower in the latent and chronic phases following status epilepticus in mice, but, except combinations C and D, no significant differences were determined between nonepileptic and post-status epilepticus animals. As a next step, the rationally chosen drug combinations will be evaluated for antiepileptogenic activity in mouse and rat models of symptomatic epilepsy.

Perspectives on treatment options for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis

INTRODUCTION

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy associated with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS) is a syndrome that is often refractory to drug treatment. The effects on specific syndromes are not currently available from the pre-marketing clinical development of new AEDs; this does not allow the prediction of whether new drugs will be more effective in the treatment of some patients.

AREAS COVERED

We have reviewed all the existing literature relevant to the understanding of a potential effectiveness in MTLE-HS patients for the latest AEDs, namely brivaracetam, eslicarbazepine, lacosamide, perampanel and retigabine also including the most relevant clinical data and a brief description of their pharmacological profile. Records were identified using predefined search criteria using electronic databases (e.g., PubMed, Cochrane Library Database of Systematic Reviews). Primary peer-reviewed articles published up to the 15 June 2015 were included.

EXPERT OPINION

All the drugs considered have the potential to be effective in the treatment of MTLE-HS; in fact, they possess proven efficacy in animal models; currently considered valuable tools for predicting drug efficacy in TLE. Furthermore, for some of these (e.g., lacosamide and eslicarbazepine) data are already available from post-marketing studies while brivaracetam acting on SV2A like levetiracetam might have the same potential effectiveness with the possibility to be more efficacious considering its ability to inhibit voltage gated sodium channels; finally, perampanel and retigabine are very effective drugs in animal models of TLE.