title: Adenosine receptors and epilepsy: current evidence and future potential.
abstract: Adenosine receptors are a powerful therapeutic target for regulating epileptic seizures. As a homeostatic bioenergetic network regulator, adenosine is perfectly suited to establish or restore an ongoing balance between excitation and inhibition, and its anticonvulsant efficacy is well established. There is evidence for the involvement of multiple adenosine receptor subtypes in epilepsy, but in particular the adenosine A1 receptor subtype can powerfully and bidirectionally regulate seizure activity. Mechanisms that regulate adenosine itself are increasingly appreciated as targets to thus influence receptor activity and seizure propensity. Taken together, established evidence for the powerful potential of adenosine-based epilepsy therapies and new strategies to influence receptor activity can combine to capitalize on this endogenous homeostatic neuromodulator.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Electronic address: susan.masino@trincoll.edu.
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Masino
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Ruskin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D058905:Purinergic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018047:Receptors, Purinergic P1 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D058905:Purinergic Agents; D018047:Receptors, Purinergic P1
keywords: A(1) receptor; A(2A) receptor; Adenosine; Adenosine kinase; Adenosine receptors; Epilepsy; Homeostasis; Ketogenic diet; Seizures