Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0238111 (Lennox-Gastaut syndrome)
 861 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Here, we report the discovery of a novel anticonvulsant drug with a molecular organization based on the unique scaffold of rufinamide, an anti-epileptic compound used in a clinical setting to treat severe epilepsy disorders such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Although accumulating evidence supports a working mechanism through voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels, we found that a clinically relevant rufinamide concentration inhibits human (h)Nav1.1 activation, a distinct working mechanism among anticonvulsants and a feature worth exploring for treating a growing number of debilitating disorders involving hNav1.1. Subsequent structure-activity relationship experiments with related N-benzyl triazole compounds on four brain hNav channel isoforms revealed a novel drug variant that (1) shifts hNav1.1 opening to more depolarized voltages without further alterations in the gating properties of hNav1.1, hNav1.2, hNav1.3, and hNav1.6; (2) increases the threshold to action potential initiation in hippocampal neurons; and (3) greatly reduces the frequency of seizures in three animal models. Altogether, our results provide novel molecular insights into the rational development of Nav channel-targeting molecules based on the unique rufinamide scaffold, an outcome that may be exploited to design drugs for treating disorders involving particular Nav channel isoforms while limiting adverse effects.
ACS Chem Biol 2014 May 16
PMID:Nav1.1 modulation by a novel triazole compound attenuates epileptic seizures in rodents. 2463 29

The 5-HT releaser/reuptake inhibitor fenfluramine has been recently reported to provide benefit as an adjunctive treatment for Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes, two types of severe childhood epilepsy. Despite its enhancement of 5-HT function, many effects of fenfluramine have been demonstrated to be dependent on 5-HT2C receptor activation, suggesting that 5-HT2C receptor activation may have an anticonvulsant property. The present study was designed to evaluate fenfluramine and 5-HT agonists of varying 5-HT2C agonist selectivity, the relatively nonselective mCPP and Ro 60-0175, and the selective 5-HT2C agonists lorcaserin and CP-809101 across a variety of acute seizure tests conducted in adult rats and mice, which have been instrumental in identifying the majority of clinically efficacious antiepileptic drugs. Tests included the maximal electroshock seizure (MES), MES threshold, and 6 Hz electrical convulsive seizure models and the chemoconvulsant pentylenetetrazole test. The effect of mCPP, lorcaserin, and CP-809101 against electrically evoked seizures in amygdala kindled rats was also investigated. Overall, at doses known to interact with 5-HT2CR, there was no clear class-related effect of these agonists in any test. The only notable antiseizure effect of fenfluramine was inhibition of MES-induced tonic seizures in the rat. The current preclinical studies using the classical acute seizure tests and an amygdala kindling model do not identify a reliable antiseizure effect of fenfluramine, an agent now used in the treatment of human epilepsies, including Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Given the nature of these epilepsies, early life and/or genetic models may have better construct validity and be more appropriate for further study.
ACS Chem Neurosci 2019 07 17
PMID:Evaluation of Selective 5-HT2C Agonists in Acute Seizure Models. 3108 4