PUBLICATION

Large-Scale Phenotype-Based Antiepileptic Drug Screening in a Zebrafish Model of Dravet Syndrome(1,2,3)

Authors
Dinday, M.T., Baraban, S.C.
ID
ZDB-PUB-151016-5
Date
2015
Source
eNeuro   2(4): (Journal)
Registered Authors
Baraban, Scott, Dinday, Matthew
Keywords
antiepileptic, drug discovery, epilepsy, high throughput, pharmacology, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
none
PubMed
26465006 Full text @ eNeuro
Abstract
Mutations in a voltage-gated sodium channel (SCN1A) result in Dravet Syndrome (DS), a catastrophic childhood epilepsy. Zebrafish with a mutation in scn1Lab recapitulate salient phenotypes associated with DS, including seizures, early fatality, and resistance to antiepileptic drugs. To discover new drug candidates for the treatment of DS, we screened a chemical library of ∼1000 compounds and identified 4 compounds that rescued the behavioral seizure component, including 1 compound (dimethadione) that suppressed associated electrographic seizure activity. Fenfluramine, but not huperzine A, also showed antiepileptic activity in our zebrafish assays. The effectiveness of compounds that block neuronal calcium current (dimethadione) or enhance serotonin signaling (fenfluramine) in our zebrafish model suggests that these may be important therapeutic targets in patients with DS. Over 150 compounds resulting in fatality were also identified. We conclude that the combination of behavioral and electrophysiological assays provide a convenient, sensitive, and rapid basis for phenotype-based drug screening in zebrafish mimicking a genetic form of epilepsy.
Genes / Markers
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping