11β-Hydroxylase inhibitors protect against seizures in mice by increasing endogenous neurosteroid synthesis.

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 a 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 (ED(50), 191 mg/kg), but is markedly more potent at 6 h (ED(50), 30 mg/kg). Similarly, etomidate is also protective at 30 min and 6 h (ED(50) values, 4.5 and 1.7 mg/kg). Finasteride, an inhibitor of neurosteroid synthesis, attenuated the anticonvulsant effects of both CYP11B1 inhibitors at 6 h, but not 30 min following their injection. Plasma THDOC levels measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were markedly increased 6 h after injection of both CYP11B1 inhibitors and this increase was attenuated by finasteride pretreatment. We conclude that inhibition of CYP11B1 causes delayed seizure protection due to slow build-up of neurosteroids. Early seizure protection is independent of neurosteroids.