Galli R, Luisi M, Pizzanelli C, Monteleone P, Casarosa E, Iudice A, Murri L
Department of Neuroscience, Section of Neurology, University of Pisa, Endocrine Research Unit, C.N.R., Pisa, Italy.
Epilepsia. 2001 Feb;42(2):216-9. doi: 10.1046/j.1528-1157.2001.07600.x.
Several lines of evidence indicate that there exists a relation between ovarian hormones and epilepsy. Estrogens decrease seizure threshold and increase brain excitability, whereas progesterone has an inhibitory effect and reduces epileptiform activity. Recently considerable interest has turned to neuroactive steroids, a group of progesterone metabolites, as endogenous modulators of excitability of the central nervous system (CNS). Their ability to alter neuronal firing rapidly occurs through interaction with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor complex. In a previous experience, serum allopregnanolone (3alpha-OH-5alpha-pregnan-20-one) levels were measured in 15 women with partial epilepsy in the intercritical phase, and no significant differences were found between patients and control subjects.
To find out if there are changes in serum allopregnanolone levels after epileptic seizure, blood samples were drawn immediately, 15 min, and 6 h after a seizure in seven fertile females with partial epilepsy.
The most interesting finding is that allopregnanolone increases in serum during the first 15 min after partial seizures (p < 0.05) and decreases after 6 h.
These data are consistent with a role for allopregnanolone in the control of neuronal excitability and seizures.
多项证据表明卵巢激素与癫痫之间存在关联。雌激素可降低癫痫发作阈值并增加脑兴奋性，而孕激素具有抑制作用并可降低癫痫样活动。最近，人们对神经活性甾体（一类孕激素代谢产物）作为中枢神经系统（CNS）兴奋性的内源性调节剂产生了浓厚兴趣。它们通过与γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）A受体复合物相互作用，能够迅速改变神经元放电。在之前的一项研究中，对15名处于发作间期的部分性癫痫女性患者的血清别孕烯醇酮（3α-羟基-5α-孕烷-20-酮）水平进行了测量，患者与对照者之间未发现显著差异。
为了确定癫痫发作后血清别孕烯醇酮水平是否有变化，对7名患有部分性癫痫的育龄女性在癫痫发作后即刻、15分钟和6小时采集血样。
最有趣的发现是，部分性癫痫发作后的前15分钟内血清别孕烯醇酮水平升高（p < 0.05），6小时后降低。
这些数据与别孕烯醇酮在控制神经元兴奋性和癫痫发作方面的作用一致。
