Effects of GABAB receptor positive allosteric modulator BHF177 and IRS‐1 on apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in rats with refractory epilepsy via the PI3K/Akt pathway

Abstract The present study was conducted to determine the effects of the γ‐aminobutyric acid B (GABA B ) receptor positive allosteric modulator BHF177 on refractory epilepsy (RE). An RE rat model was initially established via treatment with lithium‐pilocarpine. The RE rats were then treated with BHF177 or the GABA B receptor antagonist CGP46381, followed by recording of their seizure rate and assessment of their spatial learning in the Morris water maze test. Treatment of BHF177 reduced the seizure intensity, whereas this effect was revered upoj treatment with CGP46381. Immunohistochemistry revealed that BHF177 treatment diminished P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) expression in the hippocampal tissues of RE rats. Next, we found that BHF177 activated GABA B receptor, resulting in upregulated expression of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS‐1) and PI3K, as well as antiapoptotic factors (Bcl‐2 and mTOR), along with suppression of the apoptosis factors Bax and cleaved caspase‐3 in the hippocampal tissues. Further, activation of GABA B receptors by BHF177 alleviated the inflammatory response in hippocampal tissues of RE rats, as evidenced by reduced VCAM‐1, ICAM‐1, and tumor necrosis factor‐α levels. Next, we treated primary cultured rat hippocampal neurons with BHF177 and the IRS‐1 selective inhibitor NT157. BHF177 inhibited hippocampal apoptosis in rat hippocampal neurons by regulating the IRS‐1/PI3K/Akt axis through crosstalk between GABA B and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 receptors. Collectively, our findings indicate that the BHF177 inhibited neuron apoptosis, thus protecting against RE through the IRS‐1/PI3K/Akt axis, which may present a new therapeutic channel for RE.