Research reportLate treatment with choline alfoscerate (l-alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine, α-GPC) increases hippocampal neurogenesis and provides protection against seizure-induced neuronal death and cognitive impairment

•Early treatment of choline alfoscerate showed no neuroprotective effects after pilocarpine-induced seizure.•Delayed treatment of choline alfoscerate reduced cognitive impairment after seizure.•Delayed treatment of choline alfoscerate increased seizure-induced neurogenesis.•Delayed treatment of choline alfoscerate reduced neuronal death, BBB disruption and microglial activation.

Choline alfoscerate (α-GPC) is a common choline compound and acetylcholine precursor in the brain, which has been shown to be effective in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. α-GPC has been shown to enhance memory and cognitive function in stroke and Alzheimer's patients but currently remains untested in patients suffering from epilepsy. This study aimed to evaluate whether α-GPC treatment after seizure can ameliorate seizure-induced cognitive impairment and neuronal injury.The potential therapeutic effects of α-GPC on seizure-induced cognitive impairment were tested in an animal model of pilocarpine-induced seizure. Seizures were induced by intraperitoneal injection of pilocarpine (25 mg/kg) in male rats. α-GPC (250 mg/kg) was injected into the intramuscular space once daily for one or three weeks from immediately after seizure, or from 3 weeks after the seizure onset for 3 weeks. Here we found that immediate 1-week treatment of α-GPC showed no neuroprotective effects and neurogenesis. Immediate 3-week treatment of α-GPC showed neuroprotective effect but no effect on neurogenesis. To evaluate the effect of late treatment of α-GPC on cognitive impairment following seizure, rats were injected α-GPC from 3 weeks after seizure for 3 weeks and subjected to a water maze test. In the present study, we found that administration of α-GPC starting at 3 weeks after seizure improved cognitive function through reduced neuronal death and BBB disruption, and increased neurogenesis. Therefore, α-GPC injection may serve as a beneficial treatment for improvement of cognitive function in epilepsy patients.