Reduction of epileptiform activity in ketogenic mice: The role of monocarboxylate transporters

Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 7;7(1):4900. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-05054-0.

Abstract

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that affects approximately 50 million people worldwide. Ketogenic diet (KD) can be a very effective treatment for intractable epilepsy. Potential mechanisms of action for KD have been proposed, including the re-balance among excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission and decrease in the glycolytic rate in brain cells. KD has been shown to have an effect on the expression pattern of monocarboxylate transporters (MCT), however, it is unknown whether MCT transport activity is affected by KD and linked to the reduction of seizures during KD. Therefore, we studied the influence of KD on MCT transport activity and the role of MCTs during epileptiform activity. Our results showed a decrease in the epileptiform activity in cortical slices from mice fed on KD and in the presence of beta-hydroxybutyrate. KD increased transport capacity for ketone bodies and lactate in cortical astrocytes by raising the MCT1 expression level. Inhibition of MCT1 and MCT2 in control conditions decreases epileptiform activity, while in KD it induced an increase in epileptiform activity. Our results suggest that MCTs not only play an important role in the transport of ketone bodies, but also in the modulation of brain energy metabolism under normal and ketogenic conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Astrocytes / drug effects
  • Astrocytes / metabolism
  • Astrocytes / pathology
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Diet, Ketogenic*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Epilepsy / diet therapy*
  • Epilepsy / genetics
  • Epilepsy / metabolism
  • Epilepsy / physiopathology
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Glycolysis / drug effects
  • Glycolysis / genetics
  • Ketone Bodies / metabolism*
  • Lactic Acid / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Microtomy
  • Monocarboxylic Acid Transporters / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Monocarboxylic Acid Transporters / genetics*
  • Monocarboxylic Acid Transporters / metabolism
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Neurons / pathology
  • Primary Cell Culture
  • Seizures / diet therapy*
  • Seizures / genetics
  • Seizures / metabolism
  • Seizures / physiopathology
  • Signal Transduction
  • Symporters / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Symporters / genetics*
  • Symporters / metabolism
  • Thiophenes / pharmacology
  • Tissue Culture Techniques
  • Uracil / analogs & derivatives
  • Uracil / pharmacology

Substances

  • AR C155858
  • Ketone Bodies
  • Monocarboxylic Acid Transporters
  • Slc16a7 protein, mouse
  • Symporters
  • Thiophenes
  • monocarboxylate transport protein 1
  • Lactic Acid
  • Uracil
  • 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid