Abnormal glycosylation changes in brain tissue of kainic acid-induced epileptic rats

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. Despite significant progress in epilepsy research, about 30% of patients continue to experience uncontrolled seizures and clear diagnostic criteria remain elusive. Abnormal glycosylation contributes to various neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. However, it is unclear whether protein glycosylation is altered in epilepsy. Herein, we established a chronic epilepsy rat model by injecting kainic acid solution into the right lateral ventricle and examined the changes in protein N-glycosylation and O-GlcNAcylation in rat brain tissues using mass spectrometry and lectin blotting. We found a significant reduction in complex N-glycan abundance in the hippocampal tissue of epileptic rats, which may be related to decreased MGAT1 expression. Additionally, we observed a marked decrease in protein O-GlcNAcylation, which may be associated with reduced levels of GFPT1, the rate-limiting enzyme in the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway. This research offers new insight into potential therapeutic strategies for epilepsy.