Endogenous Neurosteroids Modulate Epileptogenesis in a Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

The study on 157 male Sprague-Dawley rats explored the role of neurosteroids in temporal lobe epilepsy, finding that increased neurosteroid synthesis following prolonged status epilepticus (SE) delayed the onset of spontaneous seizures. The enzyme P450scc, crucial for steroid synthesis, was upregulated in the CA3 hippocampal subfield, particularly in glial cells, with longer SE durations. Treatment with finasteride, which inhibits neurosteroid synthesis, accelerated seizure development, indicating that neurosteroids have a protective role in epileptogenesis. The findings suggested that neurosteroids, mainly produced by reactive astrocytes, could be potential regulators of epileptogenesis, highlighting the possibility of using exogenous neurosteroids or their analogs to prevent epilepsy, especially after SE or traumatic brain injury.