Vitamin D is involved in regulating limbic epileptogenesis
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Limbic epilepsy is a common brain disorder associated with dysregulation of micronutrients, of which vitamin D plays an important role in neuronal survival, neurotransmitter homeostasis and synaptic transmission. However, the in vivo contribution of vitamin D to epileptogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we observed a significant increase in vitamin D receptor (VDR) mRNA level at 6–12 h after seizure onset in four distinct classic epilepsy models. Vitamin D receptor protein expression also increased following pilocarpine-induced seizures, particularly in the hippocampal granule cell layer. Subsequently, we found that aberrant vitamin D dietary levels could accelerate kindling development. To our surprise, excessive vitamin D intake reduced the frequency of spontaneous seizures in the pilocarpine model, whereas vitamin D deficiency decreased mossy fibre sprouting—a hallmark of epileptogenesis. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying limbic epileptogenesis.
Source: Brain Communications
Authors: Shuya Qi, Mingyue Chen, Lihang Wei, Yang Wang, Xixia Liu, Bingyan Wang, Yuanyuan Liu, Guohe Tan
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,024
Funders: State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hong Kong, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Education Department of Hainan Province, Education Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Medical University, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
OpenAlex ID: W7129676779