A glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist reduces intracranial pressure in a rat model of hydrocephalus
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Authors
Colleges, School and Institutes
External organisations
- Danish Headache Center, Clinic of Neurology, Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Nordre Ringvej 69, 2600 Glostrup, Denmark.
- 1 Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT.
Abstract
Current therapies for reducing raised intracranial pressure (ICP) under conditions such as idiopathic intracranial hypertension or hydrocephalus have limited efficacy and tolerability. Thus, there is a pressing need to identify alternative drugs. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists are used to treat diabetes and promote weight loss but have also been shown to affect fluid homeostasis in the kidney. We investigated whether exendin-4, a GLP-1R agonist, is able to modulate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) secretion at the choroid plexus and subsequently reduce ICP in rats. We used tissue sections and cell cultures to demonstrate expression of GLP-1R in the choroid plexus and its activation by exendin-4, an effect blocked by the GLP-1R antagonist exendin 9-39. Acute treatment with exendin-4 reduced Na(+)- and K(+)-dependent adenosine triphosphatase activity, a key regulator of CSF secretion, in cell cultures. Finally, we demonstrated that administration of exendin-4 to female rats with raised ICP (hydrocephalic) resulted in a GLP-1R-mediated reduction in ICP. These findings suggest that GLP-1R agonists can reduce ICP in rodents. Repurposing existing GLP-1R agonist drugs may be a useful therapeutic strategy for treating raised ICP.
Details
Original language | English |
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Article number | eaan0972 |
Journal | Science Translational Medicine |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 404 |
Publication status | Published - 23 Aug 2017 |