Erythropoietin exerts anti-epileptic effects with the suppression of aberrant new cell formation in the dentate gyrus and upregulation of neuropeptide Y in seizure model of rats.

We explored the effects of exogenous and endogenous erythropoietin (EPO) in a seizure model of rat. Adult male Fischer 344 rats received continuous intraventricular infusion of EPO dissolved in saline containing 1mg/ml of rat serum albumin, anti-EPO antibody, saline containing 1mg/ml of rat serum albumin or combined EPO and neuropeptide Y (NPY) Y2-receptor antagonist. Animals were behaviorally evaluated for seizure development over 6h after kainic acid injection followed by immunohistochemical assays. Mortality rate, seizure severity, apoptotic cell death and abnormal cell proliferation in the hippocampus of EPO-treated epileptic rats were significantly attenuated, compared to control rats. Anti-EPO antibody in non-EPO-treated animals worsened seizures and CA1 neuronal cell death, while NPY Y2-receptor antagonist cancelled the therapeutic effects of exogenous EPO. Both exogenous and endogenous EPO might modulate seizure severity and protect the hippocampal neurons in epileptic rats, via novel mechanistic pathways involving blockade of epileptogenic cell formation coupled with NPY receptor modulation in the hippocampus.