Anticonvulsant and Antiepileptogenic Effects Mediated by Adeno-Associated Virus Vector Neuropeptide Y Expression in the Rat Hippocampus

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) inhibits seizures in experimental models and reduces excitability in human epileptic tissue. We studied the effect of long-lasting NPY overexpression in the rat hippocampus with local application of recombinant adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors on acute kainate seizures and kindling epileptogenesis. Transgene expression was significantly increased by 7 d, reached maximal expression by 2 weeks, and persisted for at least 3 months. Serotype 2 AAV vector increased NPY expression in hilar interneurons, whereas the chimeric serotype 1/2 vector caused far more widespread expression, also including mossy fibers, pyramidal cells, and the subiculum. EEG seizures induced by intrahippocampal kainate were reduced by 50–75%, depending on the vector serotype, and seizure onset was markedly delayed. In rats injected with the chimeric serotype 1/2 vector, status epilepticus was abolished, and kindling acquisition was significantly delayed. Thus, targeted NPY gene transfer provides a potential therapeutic principle for the treatment of drug-resistant partial epilepsies.