Ruxolitinib-dependent reduction of seizure load and duration is accompanied by spatial memory improvement in the rat pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy

Molecules with optimized pharmacokinetic properties selectively aimed at the inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation in brain have recently emerged as potential disease modifying therapies for epilepsy. In the current study, pharmacological inhibition of JAK1/2 with the orally available, FDA-approved dr...

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Main Authors: Andrew Carrel, Eleonora Napoli, Kathryn Hixson, Jessica Carlsen, Yasmin Cruz Del Angel, Dana Strode, Nicolas Busquet, Vijay Kumar, Michael F. Wempe, Shelley J. Russek, Amy R. Brooks-Kayal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Neurotherapeutics
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878747924001934
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author Andrew Carrel
Eleonora Napoli
Kathryn Hixson
Jessica Carlsen
Yasmin Cruz Del Angel
Dana Strode
Nicolas Busquet
Vijay Kumar
Michael F. Wempe
Shelley J. Russek
Amy R. Brooks-Kayal
author_facet Andrew Carrel
Eleonora Napoli
Kathryn Hixson
Jessica Carlsen
Yasmin Cruz Del Angel
Dana Strode
Nicolas Busquet
Vijay Kumar
Michael F. Wempe
Shelley J. Russek
Amy R. Brooks-Kayal
author_sort Andrew Carrel
collection DOAJ
description Molecules with optimized pharmacokinetic properties selectively aimed at the inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation in brain have recently emerged as potential disease modifying therapies for epilepsy. In the current study, pharmacological inhibition of JAK1/2 with the orally available, FDA-approved drug ruxolitinib, produced nearly complete inhibition of hippocampal STAT3 phosphorylation, and reduced the expression of its downstream target Cyclin D1, when administered to rats 30 ​min and 3 ​h after onset of pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). This effect was accompanied by significantly shorter seizure duration and lower overall seizure frequency throughout the 4 weeks of EEG recording, but did not completely prevent the development of epilepsy in ruxolitinib-treated male rats. Compared to DMSO-treated animals, administration of ruxolitinib also improved memory (Y maze) but did not impact motor function (open field) following SE. Taken together with our previous findings, the results of this study provide further evidence that inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway may be a promising disease modifying strategy to reduce severity of acquired epilepsy after brain injury, but also point to the need to better understand and optimize inhibitors of this pathway.
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spelling doaj-art-39cba2e39dad4f88ac8efbfde0c6eea42025-08-20T02:55:25ZengElsevierNeurotherapeutics1878-74792025-03-01222e0050610.1016/j.neurot.2024.e00506Ruxolitinib-dependent reduction of seizure load and duration is accompanied by spatial memory improvement in the rat pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsyAndrew Carrel0Eleonora Napoli1Kathryn Hixson2Jessica Carlsen3Yasmin Cruz Del Angel4Dana Strode5Nicolas Busquet6Vijay Kumar7Michael F. Wempe8Shelley J. Russek9Amy R. Brooks-Kayal10Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USADepartment of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USAGraduate Program for Neuroscience, Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USADepartment of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USADepartment of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USADepartment of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USADepartment of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USADepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO, USADepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Chemistry, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY, USAGraduate Program for Neuroscience, Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USADepartment of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA; Corresponding author.Molecules with optimized pharmacokinetic properties selectively aimed at the inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation in brain have recently emerged as potential disease modifying therapies for epilepsy. In the current study, pharmacological inhibition of JAK1/2 with the orally available, FDA-approved drug ruxolitinib, produced nearly complete inhibition of hippocampal STAT3 phosphorylation, and reduced the expression of its downstream target Cyclin D1, when administered to rats 30 ​min and 3 ​h after onset of pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). This effect was accompanied by significantly shorter seizure duration and lower overall seizure frequency throughout the 4 weeks of EEG recording, but did not completely prevent the development of epilepsy in ruxolitinib-treated male rats. Compared to DMSO-treated animals, administration of ruxolitinib also improved memory (Y maze) but did not impact motor function (open field) following SE. Taken together with our previous findings, the results of this study provide further evidence that inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway may be a promising disease modifying strategy to reduce severity of acquired epilepsy after brain injury, but also point to the need to better understand and optimize inhibitors of this pathway.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878747924001934EpilepsyHippocampusMemoryPilocarpine rat modelRuxolitinibSeizure
spellingShingle Andrew Carrel
Eleonora Napoli
Kathryn Hixson
Jessica Carlsen
Yasmin Cruz Del Angel
Dana Strode
Nicolas Busquet
Vijay Kumar
Michael F. Wempe
Shelley J. Russek
Amy R. Brooks-Kayal
Ruxolitinib-dependent reduction of seizure load and duration is accompanied by spatial memory improvement in the rat pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy
Neurotherapeutics
Epilepsy
Hippocampus
Memory
Pilocarpine rat model
Ruxolitinib
Seizure
title Ruxolitinib-dependent reduction of seizure load and duration is accompanied by spatial memory improvement in the rat pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy
title_full Ruxolitinib-dependent reduction of seizure load and duration is accompanied by spatial memory improvement in the rat pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy
title_fullStr Ruxolitinib-dependent reduction of seizure load and duration is accompanied by spatial memory improvement in the rat pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy
title_full_unstemmed Ruxolitinib-dependent reduction of seizure load and duration is accompanied by spatial memory improvement in the rat pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy
title_short Ruxolitinib-dependent reduction of seizure load and duration is accompanied by spatial memory improvement in the rat pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy
title_sort ruxolitinib dependent reduction of seizure load and duration is accompanied by spatial memory improvement in the rat pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy
topic Epilepsy
Hippocampus
Memory
Pilocarpine rat model
Ruxolitinib
Seizure
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878747924001934
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