Evaluation of the Potential Anti-Seizure Effects of the Ketogenic Diet in Chronically Epileptic Rats
Abstract number :
3.359
Submission category :
10. Dietary Therapies (Ketogenic, Atkins, etc.)
Year :
2018
Submission ID :
500483
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/3/2018 1:55:12 PM
Published date :
Nov 5, 2018, 18:00 PM
Authors :
Cameron Metcalf, The University of Utah; Kyle Thomson, The University of Utah; Jennifer Huff, The University of Utah; Thomas Newell, The University of Utah; and Karen S. Wilcox, The University of Utah
Rationale: The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate diet, which has been used as a therapy in the treatment of epilepsy since 1920. Treatment with the ketogenic diet can result in greater than 50% reductions in seizures patients with refractory epilepsy, and has been shown to result in seizure freedom for 13% of this patient population. The diet has also demonstrated efficacy in a variety of models of acute seizures and chronic epilepsy in rodents. We tested the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in a model of chronic spontaneous recurrent seizures in rats. Methods: Two cohorts of animals were given chronic epilepsy using a repeated low-dose kainic acid paradigm to induce status epilepticus (SE). Following implantation with a Millar wireless telemetry device, animals were placed in a 24/7 video-EEG recording suite and evaluated; rats with the highest seizure rates (n=12, 11) were selected to enter the study. A baseline seizure rate was recorded during the first week, and animals were given standard rat chow ad lib (2920X soy protein-free extruded rat diet, Tekland Gloabal). Animals were then given daily administrations of 35-40 grams of 6:1 Fat to Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet (F3666, BioServ Frenchtown, NJ), for 2 weeks in the first cohort and 3 weeks in the second cohort. Animals were then recorded for a seven day recording period after being returned to the normal rat chow. Video-EEG data was evaluated using a seizure detection algorithm and behavioral seizure scoring using a modified Racine scale. Results: Animals in both cohorts showed no active seizure reduction due to the ketogenic diet in either seizure burden or achieved seizure freedom (p>0.05). Conclusions: While efficacy of the Ketogenic Diet alone did not prove to be significant, it is unknown whether additional modifications to the treatment paradigm may confer seizure protections. These modifications might include alternative variations on the ketogenic diet (e.g. varying fat:carbohydrate ratios) or combinatorial strategies with anti-seizure or other drugs. Funding: NINDS: HHSN271201600048C