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DREADDs suppress seizure-like activity in a mouse model of pharmacoresistant epileptic brain tissue

Avaliani, N. LU ; Andersson, M. LU orcid ; Runegaard, A. H. ; Woldbye, D. and Kokaia, M. LU (2016) In Gene Therapy 23(10). p.760-766
Abstract

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder with a prevalence of ≈1% of general population. Available antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have multiple side effects and are ineffective in 30% of patients. Therefore, development of effective treatment strategies is highly needed, requiring drug-screening models that are relevant and reliable. We investigated novel chemogenetic approach, using DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) as possible inhibitor of epileptiform activity in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSCs). The OHSCs are characterized by increased overall excitability and closely resemble features of human epileptic tissue. Studies suggest that chemically induced epileptiform activity in rat OHSCs is... (More)

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder with a prevalence of ≈1% of general population. Available antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have multiple side effects and are ineffective in 30% of patients. Therefore, development of effective treatment strategies is highly needed, requiring drug-screening models that are relevant and reliable. We investigated novel chemogenetic approach, using DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) as possible inhibitor of epileptiform activity in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSCs). The OHSCs are characterized by increased overall excitability and closely resemble features of human epileptic tissue. Studies suggest that chemically induced epileptiform activity in rat OHSCs is pharmacoresistant to most of AEDs. However, high-frequency electric stimulus train-induced bursting (STIB) in OHSCs is responsive to carbamazepine and phenytoin. We investigated whether inhibitory DREADD, hM4Di, would be effective in suppressing STIB in OHSC. hM4Di is a mutated muscarinic receptor selectively activated by otherwise inert clozapine-N-oxide, which leads to hyperpolarization in neurons. We demonstrated that this hyperpolarization effectively suppresses STIB in mouse OHSCs. As we also found that STIB in mouse OHSCs is resistant to common AED, valproic acid, collectively our findings suggest that DREADD-based strategy may be effective in suppressing epileptiform activity in a pharamcoresitant epileptic brain tissue.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Gene Therapy
volume
23
issue
10
pages
7 pages
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:27416078
  • wos:000386044700009
  • scopus:84982899108
ISSN
0969-7128
DOI
10.1038/gt.2016.56
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
29c99bc4-0cce-4774-9b50-54f2b8c15bcd
date added to LUP
2016-10-27 12:53:19
date last changed
2024-06-28 17:34:32
@article{29c99bc4-0cce-4774-9b50-54f2b8c15bcd,
  abstract     = {{<p>Epilepsy is a neurological disorder with a prevalence of ≈1% of general population. Available antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have multiple side effects and are ineffective in 30% of patients. Therefore, development of effective treatment strategies is highly needed, requiring drug-screening models that are relevant and reliable. We investigated novel chemogenetic approach, using DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) as possible inhibitor of epileptiform activity in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSCs). The OHSCs are characterized by increased overall excitability and closely resemble features of human epileptic tissue. Studies suggest that chemically induced epileptiform activity in rat OHSCs is pharmacoresistant to most of AEDs. However, high-frequency electric stimulus train-induced bursting (STIB) in OHSCs is responsive to carbamazepine and phenytoin. We investigated whether inhibitory DREADD, hM4Di, would be effective in suppressing STIB in OHSC. hM4Di is a mutated muscarinic receptor selectively activated by otherwise inert clozapine-N-oxide, which leads to hyperpolarization in neurons. We demonstrated that this hyperpolarization effectively suppresses STIB in mouse OHSCs. As we also found that STIB in mouse OHSCs is resistant to common AED, valproic acid, collectively our findings suggest that DREADD-based strategy may be effective in suppressing epileptiform activity in a pharamcoresitant epileptic brain tissue.</p>}},
  author       = {{Avaliani, N. and Andersson, M. and Runegaard, A. H. and Woldbye, D. and Kokaia, M.}},
  issn         = {{0969-7128}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{760--766}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Gene Therapy}},
  title        = {{DREADDs suppress seizure-like activity in a mouse model of pharmacoresistant epileptic brain tissue}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/gt.2016.56}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/gt.2016.56}},
  volume       = {{23}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}