Title:Local and Remote Chemogenetic Suppression of Hippocampal Seizures in
Rats
Volume: 22
Issue: 13
Author(s): Donghong Li, Xi Yan, Yue Xing, Jiaqing Yan, Junling Wang, Herui Zhang, Jiaoyang Wang, Xiaonan Li, Zhumin Su, Horace Hao Loh, Xiaofeng Yang*Xiaohong Chen*
Affiliation:
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Department of Neurology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Keywords:
Chemogenetics, epileptic network, clozapine-N-oxide, clozapine, anterior nucleus, hippocampal seizures.
Abstract:
Background: Innovative treatments of refractory epilepsy are widely desired, for which
chemogenetic technology can provide region- and cell-type-specific modulation with relative noninvasiveness.
Objectives: We aimed to explore the specific applications of chemogenetics for locally and remotely
networks controlling hippocampal seizures.
Methods: A virus coding for a modified human Gi-coupled M4 muscarinic receptor (hM4Di) on pyramidal
cells was injected into either the right hippocampal CA3 or the bilateral anterior nucleus of the
thalamus (ANT) in rats. After one month, seizures were induced by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) injection
into the right CA3. Simultaneously, clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) (2.5 mg/kg) or clozapine (0.1 mg/kg),
the specific ligands acting on hM4Di, were injected intraperitoneally. We also set up hM4Di control
and clozapine control groups to eliminate the influence of viral transfection and the ligand alone on the
experimental results.
Results: For both local and remote controls, the mean seizure duration was significantly reduced upon
ligand application in the experimental groups. Seizure frequency, on the other hand, only showed a
significant decrease in local control, with a lower frequency in the clozapine group than in the CNO
group. Both the effects of CNO and clozapine were time-dependent, and clozapine was faster than
CNO in local seizure control.
Conclusion: This study shows the potency of chemogenetics to attenuate hippocampal seizures locally
or remotely by activating the transfected hM4Di receptor with CNO or clozapine. ANT is suggested as
a potentially safe chemogenetic application target in the epileptic network for focal hippocampal seizures.