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Fingolimod Exerts only Temporary Antiepileptogenic Effects but Longer-Lasting Positive Effects on Behavior in the WAG/Rij Rat Absence Epilepsy Model

Leo, A; Citraro, R; Amodio, N; De Sarro, C; Gallo Cantafio, ME; Constanti, A; De Sarro, G; (2017) Fingolimod Exerts only Temporary Antiepileptogenic Effects but Longer-Lasting Positive Effects on Behavior in the WAG/Rij Rat Absence Epilepsy Model. Neurotherapeutics , 14 (4) pp. 1134-1147. 10.1007/s13311-017-0550-y. Green open access

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Abstract

One of the major challenges in the epilepsy field is identifying disease-modifying drugs in order to prevent or delay spontaneous recurrent seizure onset or to cure already established epilepsy. It has been recently reported that fingolimod, currently approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, has demonstrated antiepileptogenic effects in 2 different preclinical models of acquired epilepsy. However, to date, no data exist regarding the role of fingolimod against genetic epilepsy. Therefore, we have addressed this issue by studying the effects of fingolimod in Wistar Albino Glaxo/Rijswijk (WAG/Rij) rats, a well-established genetic model of absence epilepsy, epileptogenesis, and neuropsychiatric comorbidity. Our results have demonstrated that an early long-term treatment with fingolimod (1 mg/kg/day), started before absence seizure onset, has both antiepileptogenic and antidepressant-like effects in WAG/Rij rats. However, these effects were transitory, as 5 months after treatment discontinuation, both absence seizure and depressive like-behavior returned to control levels. Furthermore, a temporary reduction of mTOR signaling pathway activity, indicated by reduced phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin and phosphorylated p70S6k levels, and by increased phosphorylated Akt in WAG/Rij rats of 6 months of age accompanied the transitory antiepileptogenic effects of fingolimod. Surprisingly, fingolimod has demonstrated longer-lasting positive effects on cognitive decline in this strain. This effect was accompanied by an increased acetylation of lysine 8 of histone H4 (at both 6 and 10 months of age). In conclusion, our results support the antiepileptogenic effects of fingolimod. However, the antiepileptogenic effects were transitory. Moreover, fingolimod might also have a positive impact on animal behavior and particularly in protecting the development of memory decline.

Type: Article
Title: Fingolimod Exerts only Temporary Antiepileptogenic Effects but Longer-Lasting Positive Effects on Behavior in the WAG/Rij Rat Absence Epilepsy Model
Location: United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1007/s13311-017-0550-y
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-017-0550-y
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Absence epilepsy, Behavior, Epileptogenesis, Fingolimod, Histone deacetylase (HDAC), mTOR
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > UCL School of Pharmacy
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > UCL School of Pharmacy > Pharmacology
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1561861
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