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11beta-Hydroxylase Inhibitors Protect Against Seizures In Mice By Increasing Endogenous Neurosteroid Synthesis, Rafal Kaminski, Michael Rogawski
11beta-Hydroxylase Inhibitors Protect Against Seizures In Mice By Increasing Endogenous Neurosteroid Synthesis, Rafal Kaminski, Michael Rogawski
Michael A. Rogawski
Steroid 11β-hydroxylase (CYP11B1; EC 1.14.15.4) is a mitochondrial enzyme located in the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex and also in the brain that mediates the conversion of 11-deoxycortisol to cortisol and 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) to corticosterone. Inhibitors of CYP11B1, such as metyrapone and etomidate, reduce glucocorticoid synthesis and raise levels of DOC providing greater availability for metabolic conversion to the GABA-A receptor modulating neurosteroid allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC). Because THDOC is potent anticonvulsant, it is plausible that CYP11B1 inhibitors could protect against seizures. Here we demonstrate that metyrapone affords dose-dependent protection against 6-Hz seizures 30 min after injection (ED50, 191 mg/kg), but …