Dietary supplementation with acetyl-l-carnitine in seizure treatment of pentylenetetrazole kindled mice

In spite of the availability of new antiepileptic drugs a considerable number of epilepsy patients still have pharmacoresistant seizures, and thus there is a need for novel approaches. Acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR), which delivers acetyl units to mitochondria for acetyl-CoA production, has been shown to improve brain energy homeostasis and protects against various neurotoxic insults. To our knowledge, this is the first study of ALCAR’s effect on metabolism in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) kindled mice. ALCAR or the commonly used antiepileptic drug valproate, was added to the drinking water of mice for 25 days, and animals were injected with PTZ or saline three times a week during the last 21 days. In order to investigate ALCAR’s effects on glucose metabolism, mice were injected with [1-13C]glucose 15 min prior to microwave fixation. Brain extracts from cortex and the hippocampal formation (HF) were studied using 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and HPLC. PTZ kindling caused glucose hypometabolism, evidenced by a reduction in both glycolysis and TCA cycle turnover in both brain regions investigated. Glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons were affected in cortex and HF, but the amount of glutamate was only reduced in HF. Slight astrocytic involvement could be detected in the cortex. Interestingly, the dopamine content was increased in the HF. ALCAR attenuated the PTZ induced reduction in [3-13C]alanine and the increase in dopamine in the HF. However, TCA cycle metabolism was not different from that seen in PTZ kindled animals. In conclusion, even though ALCAR did not delay the kindling process, it did show some promising ameliorative effects, worthy of further investigation.

► ALCAR increased the [3-13C]alanine level in the hippocampal formation in PTZ kindled mice.
► ALCAR attenuated an increase in the dopamine level in the hippocampal formation in PTZ kindled mice.
► ALCAR did not have antiepileptic effects on PTZ kindled mice.