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Targeting the Ghrelin Receptor as a Novel Therapeutic Option for Epilepsy. Biomedicines 2021; 10:biomedicines10010053. [PMID: 35052733 PMCID: PMC8773216 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10010053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a neurological disease affecting more than 50 million individuals worldwide. Notwithstanding the availability of a broad array of antiseizure drugs (ASDs), 30% of patients suffer from pharmacoresistant epilepsy. This highlights the urgent need for novel therapeutic options, preferably with an emphasis on new targets, since “me too” drugs have been shown to be of no avail. One of the appealing novel targets for ASDs is the ghrelin receptor (ghrelin-R). In epilepsy patients, alterations in the plasma levels of its endogenous ligand, ghrelin, have been described, and various ghrelin-R ligands are anticonvulsant in preclinical seizure and epilepsy models. Up until now, the exact mechanism-of-action of ghrelin-R-mediated anticonvulsant effects has remained poorly understood and is further complicated by multiple downstream signaling pathways and the heteromerization properties of the receptor. This review compiles current knowledge, and discusses the potential mechanisms-of-action of the anticonvulsant effects mediated by the ghrelin-R.
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Buckinx A, Van Den Herrewegen Y, Pierre A, Cottone E, Ben Haj Salah K, Fehrentz JA, Kooijman R, De Bundel D, Smolders I. Differential Effects of a Full and Biased Ghrelin Receptor Agonist in a Mouse Kindling Model. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20102480. [PMID: 31137460 PMCID: PMC6567032 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20102480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The ghrelin system has received substantial recognition as a potential target for novel anti-seizure drugs. Ghrelin receptor (ghrelin-R) signaling is complex, involving Gαq/11, Gαi/o, Gα12/13, and β-arrestin pathways. In this study, we aimed to deepen our understanding regarding signaling pathways downstream the ghrelin-R responsible for mediating anticonvulsive effects in a kindling model. Mice were administered the proconvulsive dopamine 1 receptor-agonist, SKF81297, to gradually induce a kindled state. Prior to every SKF81297 injection, mice were treated with a ghrelin-R full agonist (JMV-1843), a Gαq and Gα12 biased ligand unable to recruit β-arrestin (YIL781), a ghrelin-R antagonist (JMV-2959), or saline. Mice treated with JMV-1843 had fewer and less severe seizures compared to saline-treated controls, while mice treated with YIL781 experienced longer and more severe seizures. JMV-2959 treatment did not lead to differences in seizure severity and number. Altogether, these results indicate that the Gαq or Gα12 signaling pathways are not responsible for mediating JMV-1843′s anticonvulsive effects and suggest a possible involvement of β-arrestin signaling in the anticonvulsive effects mediated by ghrelin-R modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Buckinx
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Yana Van Den Herrewegen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Anouk Pierre
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Eleonora Cottone
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Khoubaib Ben Haj Salah
- Max Mousseron Institute of Biomolecules UMR524, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France.
| | - Jean-Alain Fehrentz
- Max Mousseron Institute of Biomolecules UMR524, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France.
| | - Ron Kooijman
- Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Dimitri De Bundel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Ilse Smolders
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
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Omrani H, Alipour MR, Mohaddes G. Ghrelin Improves Antioxidant Defense in Blood and Brain in Normobaric Hypoxia in Adult Male Rats. Adv Pharm Bull 2015; 5:283-8. [PMID: 26236669 DOI: 10.15171/apb.2015.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2014] [Revised: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Hypoxia is one of the important factors in formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Ghrelin is a peptide hormone that reduces oxidative stress. However, antioxidant effect of ghrelin on blood and brain in normobaric hypoxia condition has not yet been investigated. METHODS thirty-two animals were randomly divided into four (n=8) experimental groups: Control (C), ghrelin (Gh), hypoxia (H), hypoxic animals that received ghrelin (H+Gh). Normobaric systemic hypoxia (11% O2) was induced in rats for 48 hours. Effect of ghrelin (80 μg/kg, i.p) on serum TAC and MDA and brain SOD, CAT, GPx and MDA were assessed. RESULTS Hypoxia significantly (p<0.001) increased both blood and brain MDA Levels. Ghrelin treatment significantly (p<0.001) decreased blood MDA levels both in control and hypoxia, and brain MDA levels in hypoxia conditions. Brain SOD, CAT and GPx variations were not significant in two days of hypoxia. Ghrelin treatment also could not significantly increase activity of SOD, CAT and GPx in brain. Total antioxidant capacity of serum increased in ghrelin treatment both in control and hypoxic conditions, although it was only significant (p<0.01) in control conditions. CONCLUSION Our findings showed that administration of ghrelin may be useful in reducing blood and brain oxidative stress in normobaric hypoxia condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Omrani
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Alipour
- Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Gisou Mohaddes
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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