Anticonvulsant Effect of Time-Restricted Feeding in a Pilocarpine-Induced Seizure Model: Metabolic and Epigenetic Implications.

A new generation of antiepileptic drugs has emerged; however, one-third of epilepsy patients do not properly respond to pharmacological treatments. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether time-restricted feeding (TRF) has an anticonvulsant effect and whether this restrictive diet promotes changes in energy metabolism and epigenetic modifications in a pilocarpine-induced seizure model. To resolve our hypothesis, one group of rats had free access to food and water ad libitum (AL) and a second group underwent a TRF schedule.

Epigenetic mechanisms in neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

The role of epigenetic mechanisms in the function and homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS) and its regulation in diseases is one of the most interesting processes of contemporary neuroscience. In the last decade, a growing body of literature suggests that long-term changes in gene transcription associated with CNS's regulation and neurological disorders are mediated via modulation of chromatin structure. "Epigenetics", introduced for the first time by Waddington in the early 1940s, has been traditionally referred to a variety of mechanisms that allow heritable changes in gene expression even in the absence of DNA mutation.

Role of TGF-β signaling pathway on Tenascin C protein upregulation in a pilocarpine seizure model.

Seizures have been shown to upregulate the expression of numerous extracellular matrix molecules. Tenascin C (TNC) is an extracellular matrix protein involved in several physiological roles and in pathological conditions. Though TNC upregulation has been described after excitotoxins injection, to date there is no research work on the signal transduction pathway(s) participating in TNC protein overproduction.