6533b839fe1ef96bd12a62dc

RESEARCH PRODUCT

MiRNome of epileptic children suggests the involvement of antioxidant pathways in the neuroprotective role of ketogenic diet

subject

description

Ketogenic diet (KD) has been used as treatment for refractory epilepsy in children since the 1920s. However, the neuroprotective mechanism of this diet is still unknown. Recent evidence points to a multifactorial effect of KD that involves a decrease of oxidative stress. Mononuclear cells from 14 children with refractory epilepsy, from the Paediatric Hospital “Nino Jesus” in Madrid, were obtained before and after treatment with a ketogenic diet for 6 months. A global analysis of miRNA expression (miRNome) indicates that there are 230 miRNAs which are expressed differently before and after the treatment with KD. If additionally, we restrict the miRNAs with a fold change > |1.3|we obtain 11 relevant miRNAs: miR-3978, miR-6726-3p, miR-130a-3p, miR-4758, miR- 6745, miR-532, miR-185-5p (downregulated after the ketogenic treatment) and miR-4538, miR-602, miR-330-5p, miR-4673 (upregulated after the treatment). Many of these miRNAs are involved in antioxidant pathways. For instance, miR-185 upregulation impairs an efficient antioxidant response in human [doi: 10.1186/s12933-016-0390-9], whereas in our patients treated with KD this miRNA is down-regulated. These findings support the role of the prevention of oxidative stress in the neuroprotective effects of the ketogenic diet.