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The ketogenic diet inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway
Author(s) -
McDaniel Sharon S.,
Rensing Nicholas R.,
Thio Liu Lin,
Yamada Kelvin A.,
Wong Michael
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2011.02981.x
Subject(s) - epileptogenesis , pi3k/akt/mtor pathway , sirolimus , hippocampal formation , ketogenic diet , status epilepticus , kainate receptor , epilepsy , mechanistic target of rapamycin , pharmacology , signal transduction , hippocampus , neuroscience , medicine , chemistry , biology , receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , glutamate receptor , ampa receptor
Summary The ketogenic diet (KD) is an effective treatment for epilepsy, but its mechanisms of action are poorly understood. We investigated the hypothesis that the KD inhibits mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway signaling. The expression of pS6 and pAkt, markers of mTOR pathway activation, was reduced in hippocampus and liver of rats fed KD. In the kainate model of epilepsy, KD blocked the hippocampal pS6 elevation that occurs after status epilepticus. Because mTOR signaling has been implicated in epileptogenesis, these results suggest that the KD may have anticonvulsant or antiepileptogenic actions via mTOR pathway inhibition.