Evaluation of the antiepileptic and neuroprotective effect of a bioinspired peptide from the venom of social wasps in its free form and associated with nanotechnology
Antiepileptic;Neurovespine;Nanotechnology
Epilepsy is defined as a neurological disorder characterized by a persistent predisposition of the brain to generate spontaneous and recurrent seizures. Despite the use of antiepileptic drugs to control and prevent epileptic seizures, their prolonged use carries a considerable risk of morbidity. Currently, arthropod venoms have been considered important sources of neuroactive compounds. The peptide Neurovespin, bioinspired from the venom of social wasps, has proved extremely promising in acute and chronic models of seizures, inducing a potent anticonvulsant and neuroprotective effect, as well as showing no detectable adverse effects to date. However, the estimated half-life of the peptide is 4 hours and the form of administration is restricted to parenteral use. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the antiepileptic and neuroprotective activity of the Neurovespin peptide associated with nanotechnology in a chronic model of temporal lobe epilepsy. In order to evaluate the antiepileptic effect of the Neurovespin peptide, a chronic model of TLE was used, with seizures induced by pilocarpine (i.p) and during treatment the experimental subjects were monitored using a video camera and video-EEG to observe Spontaneous and Recurrent Seizures (SRCs). After evaluating the antiepileptic effect, the animals were euthanized and the morphological changes are being evaluated using histological techniques (Nissl staining for neurons). Semi-quantitative analysis of neuronal damage will be carried out on each of the experimental subjects submitted to the protocol for evaluating antiepileptic activity described above, except those submitted to the protocol for obtaining video-EEG. The hope is to increase the therapeutic efficacy of the peptide, while maintaining its pharmacological safety and aiming for a more effective and comfortable treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy.