ACTH and Low Melanocortin-2 Receptor Expression Inhibit Infantile Spasm (IS) Seizures in Prenatal Stress (PS) Exposed Rats

Background: Infantile spasm (IS) is a catastrophic epileptic syndrome of childhood and is usually insensitive to conventional antiepileptic drugs. Studies revealed that prenatal stress (PS) exposure and Melanocortin-2 Receptor (MC2R) may be involved in the pathogenesis of IS. However, the exact mechanism still remains unknown. Methods: In this study, PS was initially given to Wistar rats and ACTH injection was performed in offsprings. Seizure was then induced and evaluated, followed by MC2R immunohistochemistry and expression detection. Results: Significant differences in seizure number, MC2R and CRH expressions were observed among different subgroups. Conclusions: Our study suggested that PS exposure may be an important factor in the pathogenesis of IS. ACTH together with low expression of MC2R, may inhibit IS seizures.