Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Status epilepticus (SE) is a life-threatening and commonly drug-refractory condition. Novel therapies are needed to rapidly terminate seizures to prevent mortality and morbidity. Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is the key enzyme responsible for the hydrolysis of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and a major contributor to the brain pool of arachidonic acid (AA). Inhibiting of monoacylglycerol lipase modulates synaptic activity and neuroinflammation, 2 mediators of excessive neuronal activation underlying seizures. We studied the effect of a potent and selective irreversible MAGL inhibitor, CPD-4645, on SE that was refractory to diazepam, its neuropathologic sequelae, and the mechanism underlying the drug's effects.
METHODS: Diazepam-resistant SE was induced in adult mice fed with standard or ketogenic diet or in cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) receptor knock-out mice. CPD-4645 (10 mg/kg, subcutaneously) or vehicle was dosed 1 and 7 h after status epilepticus onset in video-electroencephalography (EEG) recorded mice. At the end of SE, mice were examined in the novel object recognition test followed by neuronal cellloss analysis.
RESULTS: CPD-4645 maximal plasma and brain concentrations were attained 0.5 h postinjection (half-life = 3.7 h) and elevated brain 2-AG levels by approximately 4-fold. CPD-4645 administered to standard diet-fed mice progressively reduced spike frequency during 3 h postinjection, thereby shortening SE duration by 47%. The drug immediately abrogated SE in ketogenic diet-fed mice. CPD-4645 rescued neuronal cell loss and cognitive deficit and reduced interleukin (IL)-1β and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) brain expression resulting from SE. The CPD-4645 effect on SE was similar in mice lacking CB1 receptors.
SIGNIFICANCE: MAGL represents a novel therapeutic target for treating status epilepticus and improving its sequelae. CPD-4645 therapeutic effects appear to be predominantly mediated by modulation of neuroinflammation.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 79-91 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Epilepsia |
Volume | 59 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2018 |
Keywords
- Animals
- Brain/metabolism
- Brain Waves/drug effects
- Carbamates/chemistry
- Cognition Disorders/drug therapy
- Diazepam/adverse effects
- Disease Models, Animal
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Drug Resistant Epilepsy/chemically induced
- Electroencephalography
- Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists/toxicity
- Fluoresceins/metabolism
- Kainic Acid/toxicity
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Monoacylglycerol Lipases/antagonists & inhibitors
- Neurons/drug effects
- Piperidines/chemistry
- Random Allocation
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/deficiency
- Recognition (Psychology)/drug effects
- Status Epilepticus/chemically induced
- Sulfonamides/chemistry
- Time Factors