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Functional role of HSP70 expression regulation in the pathogenesis of epilepsy and associated inflammatory processes

Subject Area Veterinary Medical Science
Term from 2016 to 2021
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 317933165
 
Final Report Year 2021

Final Report Abstract

Excessive inflammatory signaling has been confirmed as one key mechanism contributing to epilepsy development (=epileptogenesis) and to hyperexcitability in the epileptic brain. The heat-shock protein superfamily HSP70 comprises a stress-inducible HSP70i, which acts as modulator of inflammatory responses and as a ligand of Toll-like receptor 4. Our project addressed three hypotheses focusing on epilepsy- and epileptogenesis-associated expression regulation of HSP70i as well as the impact of HSP70i on seizure susceptibility and development of a hyperexcitable network. Our findings from a chronic epilepsy model in rats (electrical post-status epilepticus model) revealed a pronounced induction of neuronal HSP70i expression in the early post-insult phase, and a moderate up-regulation during the latency phase. Additional analysis of further members of the HSP70 superfamily provided information about the differential expression patterns of HSPA5 and HSPH4, two cell stress-triggered proteins which serve a chaperone function targeting misfolded peptides during prolonged stress conditions. While data from the chronic phase of the rat epilepsy model pointed to a regionally restricted overexpression of both proteins, a more complex regulation pattern became evident in the early post-status epilepticus phase. In the canine brain from patients with idiopathic epilepsy, HSP70i expression was increased in the piriform lobe. Interestingly, we also confirmed an overexpression of HSPH4, of TLR4 and of High-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1; another ligand of TLR4) in hippocampal subregions of the canine epileptic brain. An assessment in a genetic mouse model of Dravet syndrome did not confirm a relevant regulation of HSPA5 in different brain regions of interest in this model of a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. Analysis in this paradigm has been focused on the HSP70 superfamily member considering proteomic data sets that we obtained by comparison of hippocampal tissue from Dravet and wildtype mice. HSP70i overexpression in mice resulted in functionally relevant effects on seizure development and progression in the amygdala kindling model. The findings suggested pro-convulsant effects of elevated HSP70i levels promoting ictogenesis in naïve animals, and provided first evidence that HSP70i may also contribute to epileptogenesis. Surprisingly, findings from HSP70i knockout mice pointed to a protective role of HSP70i with an impact on spread of seizure activity. Administration of the positive HSP70i modulator Celastrol resulted in detrimental effects with reduced post-kindling thresholds and enhanced microglia activation. Taken together these findings suggest that normal expression rates of HSP70i can exert relevant protective effects and control neuronal excitability. However, an increased expression of HSP70i triggered by acute neuronal cell stress can have detrimental consequences. Thus, targeting strategies should aim to prevent a stress-induced up-regulation of HSP70i but avoid an interference with basal expression and function of HSP70i.

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