Alpha2-Adrenergic Receptors as a Pharmacological Target for Spike-Wave Epilepsy
Spike-wave discharges are the hallmark of idiopathic generalized epilepsy. They are caused by a disorder in the thalamocortical network. Commercially available anti-epileptic drugs have pronounced side effects (i.e., sedation and gastroenterological concerns), which might result from a low selectivi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/2/1477 |
| _version_ | 1797441308417064960 |
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| author | Evgenia Sitnikova Elizaveta Rutskova Kirill Smirnov |
| author_facet | Evgenia Sitnikova Elizaveta Rutskova Kirill Smirnov |
| author_sort | Evgenia Sitnikova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spike-wave discharges are the hallmark of idiopathic generalized epilepsy. They are caused by a disorder in the thalamocortical network. Commercially available anti-epileptic drugs have pronounced side effects (i.e., sedation and gastroenterological concerns), which might result from a low selectivity to molecular targets. We suggest a specific subtype of adrenergic receptors (ARs) as a promising anti-epileptic molecular target. In rats with a predisposition to absence epilepsy, alpha2 ARs agonists provoke sedation and enhance spike-wave activity during transitions from awake/sedation. A number of studies together with our own observations bring evidence that the sedative and proepileptic effects require different alpha2 ARs subtypes activation. Here we introduce a new concept on target pharmacotherapy of absence epilepsy via alpha2B ARs which are presented almost exclusively in the thalamus. We discuss HCN and calcium channels as the most relevant cellular targets of alpha2 ARs involved in spike-wave activity generation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:21:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bfc680ca001a42d08185ead612b47bd0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:21:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-bfc680ca001a42d08185ead612b47bd02023-11-30T22:41:00ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672023-01-01242147710.3390/ijms24021477Alpha2-Adrenergic Receptors as a Pharmacological Target for Spike-Wave EpilepsyEvgenia Sitnikova0Elizaveta Rutskova1Kirill Smirnov2Institute of the Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova Str., 5A, Moscow 117485, RussiaInstitute of the Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova Str., 5A, Moscow 117485, RussiaInstitute of the Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova Str., 5A, Moscow 117485, RussiaSpike-wave discharges are the hallmark of idiopathic generalized epilepsy. They are caused by a disorder in the thalamocortical network. Commercially available anti-epileptic drugs have pronounced side effects (i.e., sedation and gastroenterological concerns), which might result from a low selectivity to molecular targets. We suggest a specific subtype of adrenergic receptors (ARs) as a promising anti-epileptic molecular target. In rats with a predisposition to absence epilepsy, alpha2 ARs agonists provoke sedation and enhance spike-wave activity during transitions from awake/sedation. A number of studies together with our own observations bring evidence that the sedative and proepileptic effects require different alpha2 ARs subtypes activation. Here we introduce a new concept on target pharmacotherapy of absence epilepsy via alpha2B ARs which are presented almost exclusively in the thalamus. We discuss HCN and calcium channels as the most relevant cellular targets of alpha2 ARs involved in spike-wave activity generation.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/2/1477absence epilepsyspike-wave dischargesthalamocortical networkadrenergic receptorsalpha2 adrenergic receptorsarousal |
| spellingShingle | Evgenia Sitnikova Elizaveta Rutskova Kirill Smirnov Alpha2-Adrenergic Receptors as a Pharmacological Target for Spike-Wave Epilepsy International Journal of Molecular Sciences absence epilepsy spike-wave discharges thalamocortical network adrenergic receptors alpha2 adrenergic receptors arousal |
| title | Alpha2-Adrenergic Receptors as a Pharmacological Target for Spike-Wave Epilepsy |
| title_full | Alpha2-Adrenergic Receptors as a Pharmacological Target for Spike-Wave Epilepsy |
| title_fullStr | Alpha2-Adrenergic Receptors as a Pharmacological Target for Spike-Wave Epilepsy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alpha2-Adrenergic Receptors as a Pharmacological Target for Spike-Wave Epilepsy |
| title_short | Alpha2-Adrenergic Receptors as a Pharmacological Target for Spike-Wave Epilepsy |
| title_sort | alpha2 adrenergic receptors as a pharmacological target for spike wave epilepsy |
| topic | absence epilepsy spike-wave discharges thalamocortical network adrenergic receptors alpha2 adrenergic receptors arousal |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/2/1477 |
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