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Hi All,

I was surprised to see evidence that in the ketogenic diet it

is the glucose-sparing but not the nature of the diet that is

important for its use in preventing epileptic seizures.

To cut to the chase, the below summarizes the below pdf-available

paper that is

in a new journal not accessible to Medline yet.

" Conclusions

We conclude that seizure susceptibility in [epilectic (EL)]

mice is dependent on plasma glucose

levels and that seizure control depends more

on the amount than on the origin of dietary

calories. Also, we found that [caloric restriction (CR)] underlies

the

antiepileptic action of the [ketogenic diet (KD)] in EL mice.

A transition from glucose to ketone bodies for

energy is predicted to manage EL epileptic

seizures through multiple integrated changes

of inhibitory and excitatory neural systems. "

The below indicates that it is a rough pdf in format.

This Provisional PDF corresponds to the article as it appeared upon

acceptance. The fully-formatted

PDF version will become available shortly after the date of

publication, from the URL listed below.

Here comes the article.

Management of multifactorial idiopathic epilepsy in EL

mice with caloric restriction and the ketogenic diet:

role of glucose and ketone bodies

Mantis JG, Centeno NA, Todorova MT, McGowan R, Seyfried TN

Nutrition & Metabolism 2004, 1:11 (19 October 2004)

Abstract

Background

The high fat, low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (KD) was developed as

an alternative

to fasting for seizure management. While the mechanisms by which

fasting and the KD

inhibit seizures remain speculative, alterations in brain energy

metabolism are likely

involved. We previously showed that caloric restriction (CR) inhibits

seizure

susceptibility by reducing blood glucose in the epileptic EL mouse, a

natural model for

human multifactorial idiopathic epilepsy. In this study, we compared

the antiepileptic

and anticonvulsant efficacy of the KD with that of CR in adult EL

mice with active

epilepsy. EL mice that experienced at least 15 recurrent complex

partial seizures were

fed either a standard diet unrestricted (SD-UR) or restricted (SD-R),

and either a KD

unrestricted (KD-UR) or restricted (KD-R). All mice were fasted for

14 hrs prior to diet

initiation. A new experimental design was used where each mouse in

the diet-restricted

groups served as its own control to achieve a 20-23% body weight

reduction. Seizure

susceptibility, body weights, and the levels of plasma glucose and b-

hydroxybutyrate

were measured once/week over a nine-week treatment period.

Results

Body weights and blood glucose levels remained high over the testing

period in the

SD-UR and the KD-UR groups, but were significantly (p < 0.001)

reduced in the SD-R

and KD-R groups. Plasma b-hydroxybutyrate levels were significantly

(p < 0.001)

increased in the SD-R and KD-R groups compared to their respective UR

groups.

Seizure susceptibility remained high in both UR-fed groups throughout

the study, but was

significantly reduced after three weeks in both R-fed groups.

Conclusions

The results indicate that seizure susceptibility in EL mice is

dependent on plasma

glucose levels and that seizure control is more associated with the

amount than with the

origin of dietary calories. Also, CR underlies the antiepileptic and

anticonvulsant action

of the KD in EL mice. A transition from glucose to ketone bodies for

energy is predicted

to manage EL epileptic seizures through multiple integrated changes

of inhibitory and

excitatory neural systems.

Background

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder involving recurrent abnormal

discharges of

neurons that produce epileptic seizures [1]. With the exception of

stroke, epilepsy is one

of the most prevalent human neurological afflictions affecting about

1% of the US

population [2, 3]. Many persons with epilepsy manifest partial or

generalized seizures

without symptoms of brain abnormality, i.e., idiopathic epilepsy [1,

4, 5]. In contrast to

idiopathic epilepsy, symptomatic or acquired epilepsy often

accompanies brain trauma,

injury, or neurostructural defects. While some idiopathic epilepsies

are inherited as a

simple Mendelian traits, most are multifactorial where more than one

gene together with

environmental factors contribute to the disease phenotype [6, 7].

Epilepsy animal models are used widely to test the influence of

environmental and

genetic factors on seizure mechanisms. The epileptic EL mouse is a

natural model for

human multifactorial idiopathic epilepsy and was first discovered in

1954 in an outbred

DDY mouse colony [6, 8-10]. EL mice experience complex partial

seizures with

secondary generalization similar to those seen in humans [6, 10].

Seizures in EL mice

commence with the onset of puberty (50-60 days), originate in or near

the parietal lobe,

and then spread to the hippocampus and to other brain regions [6, 11-

13]. The seizures

are accompanied by electroencephalographic abnormalities,

vocalization, incontinence,

loss of postural equilibrium, excessive salivation, and head, limb,

and chewing

automatisms [10, 12, 14-17] . A reactive gliosis accompanies seizure

progression in adult

EL mice involving both astrocytes and microglia [18, 19]. Epileptic

seizures in EL mice

also model Gowers' dictum, where each seizure increases the

likelihood of recurrent

seizures [6]. Seizure susceptibility can be managed with phenytoin

and phenobarbital as

well as with diet therapies to include the ketogenic diet and caloric

restriction [20-22].

Gene-environmental interactions play a significant role in the

determination of seizure

frequency and onset in EL mice as with multifactorial human

idiopathic epilepsies [6, 9,

23].

Despite intensive antiepileptic drug (AED) research and development,

seizures

remain unmanageable or refractory in many persons with epilepsy [24-

26]. As an

alternative to AEDs diet therapies can be effective in the management

or control of

epilepsy. Fasting has long been recognized as an effective

antiepileptic therapy for a

broad range of seizure disorders [27-29]. Since fasting produces

ketonemia, it was

originally thought that ketone bodies ( ý -hydroxybutyrate and

acetoacetate) might

underlie the antiepileptic effects of fasting [27, 30]. Consequently,

high fat, low protein,

low carbohydrate KDs were developed to mimic the physiological

effects of fasting [25,

27, 31, 32]. Although the KD significantly elevates circulating

ketone body levels, later

studies showed that ketone bodies alone were unable to account for

the antiepileptic and

anticonvulsant effects of the KD in humans or in animal epilepsy

models [20, 31, 33-38].

Since the KD manages epilepsy best when administered in restricted

amounts and since

fasting lowers blood glucose levels, Seyfried and co-workers

suggested that caloric

restriction might contribute to the antiepileptic and anticonvulsant

effects of the KD [21,

29, 38].

CR is a natural dietary therapy that improves health, extends

longevity, and reduces

the effects of neuroinflammatory diseases in rodents and humans [21,

29, 39, 40]. CR is

produced from a total dietary restriction and differs from acute

fasting or starvation in

that CR reduces total caloric energy intake without causing anorexia

or deficiencies of

any specific nutrients [38]. In other words, CR extends the health

benefits of fasting

while avoiding starvation. Besides improving health, CR has both

antiepileptic and

anticonvulsant effects in EL mice and in other animal epilepsy models

[20, 21, 41]. A

reduction in blood glucose with a corresponding elevation in blood

ketone bodies is

thought to underlie the antiepileptic and anticonvulsant effects of

CR [21, 29, 38].

Glucose uptake and metabolism increases more during epileptic

seizures than during

most other brain activities [42-44]. Blood glucose also positively

correlates with

flurothyl-induced seizures in rats and high glucose may exacerbate

human seizure

disorders [45]. Neuronal excitability and epileptic seizures are

directly related to rapid

glucose utilization and glycolysis [42, 43, 45-51]. It is not yet

clear, however, to what

extent enhanced glycolysis is related to the cause or effects of

seizure activity [29].

Nevertheless, a transition in brain energy metabolism from glucose

utilization to ketone

body utilization reduces neural excitation and increases neural

inhibition through multiple

integrated systems [29, 38]. Based on these and other observations

[50, 52-54], we

proposed that most epilepsies, regardless of etiology, might

ultimately involve altered

brain energy homeostasis [29].

In this study, we compared the antiepileptic and anticonvulsant

effects of both the KD

and CR in adult EL mice that experienced at least 15 recurrent

complex partial seizures.

The results show that seizure control in EL mice is more associated

with the amount than

with the origin of dietary calories, and that CR underlies the

antiepileptic and

anticonvulsant action of the KD in EL mice. A preliminary report of

these findings was

recently presented [55].

Results

Diet composition and tolerance

The composition of each diet is shown in Table 1 and in the Methods.

No adverse

effects of the diets were observed in either R-fed mouse group.

Despite the 20-23% body

weight reduction, mice in both R-fed groups appeared healthy and were

more active than

the mice in the UR-fed groups as assessed by ambulatory and grooming

behavior. With

the exception of oily fur, the KD-fed mice appeared active and

healthy throughout the

study as previously found [20]. No signs of vitamin or mineral

deficiency were observed

in the R-fed mice according to standard criteria for mice [56]. These

findings are

consistent with the well-recognized health benefits of mild to

moderate caloric restriction

in rodents [57], and support our previous findings that both the KD

and a moderate CR

are well tolerated by EL mice [20, 21].

Influence of caloric restriction on body weight

All mice were matched for age (approximately 210 days) and body weight

(approximately 31.0 + 1.5 g) before the start of the dietary

treatment (Fig. 1). All mice

lost approximately 7-9% of their body weight during the 14 hr fast.

Body weight

remained relatively stable over the nine-week treatment period in

both UR-fed mouse

groups (Fig. 1). The 20-23% body weight reduction was achieved in the

R-fed groups

after about two weeks of gradual food restriction. However, more

difficulty was

encountered initially in maintaining a stable body weight reduction

for the KD-R group

than for the SD-R group. This difficulty may result from the high

caloric content of the

KD that produces greater body weight changes per calorie adjustment

than the SD. We

also estimated that the degree of CR necessary to maintain the 20-23%

body weight

reduction was about 38-45% for the SD and about 45-52% for the KD.

Influence of diets on seizure susceptibility in adult EL mice

All mice had at least 15 recurrent seizures before the start of

dietary treatment (arrow,

Fig. 1). The seizures occurred occasionally during routine cage

changing prior to the pre-

trial period and regularly from handling during the pre-trial test

period. Seizure

susceptibility was analyzed in all mouse groups after the R-fed mice

achieved a stable

body weight reduction, i.e., week five of treatment (Figs. 1 and 2).

Seizure susceptibility

was high for both UR-fed groups throughout the study. In both R-fed

groups, seizure

susceptibility decreased from 1.0 to about 0.3 after two weeks and

remained significantly

lower than that of the UR-fed control groups from treatment weeks 5-

12 (Fig. 2). Only a

single mouse in the KD-R group had a break-through seizure on week 8.

Taken together,

our findings show that seizure management in EL mice is more

associated with the

amount than with the origin of dietary calories.

Influence of diets on plasma glucose and b bb b-hydroxybutyrate levels

Plasma glucose levels were analyzed in all mouse groups after the R-

fed mice

achieved a stable body weight reduction (Figs. 1 and 3). Glucose

levels remained high

for both UR-fed groups throughout the study and were stable over

treatment weeks 5-12.

However, plasma glucose levels were somewhat lower (about 8 mM) in

both UR-fed

groups between treatment weeks 3-5 compared to the pre-trial glucose

levels (about 10

mM). This reduction might result from a combination of repetitive

handling, seizures,

blood collection, and the initial fast (Fig. 3). In both R-fed mouse

groups, the plasma

glucose levels decreased from about 10 mM to about 5.0 mM after three

weeks and

remained significantly lower than those of their respective UR-fed

control groups.

Plasma b-hydroxybutyrate levels were also analyzed in all mouse

groups after the R-

fed mice achieved a stable body weight reduction (Figs. 1 and 4).

These levels remained

low in the SD-UR group throughout the study and were stable for

treatment weeks 5-12

(Fig. 4). b-hydroxybutyrate levels were significantly higher in the R-

fed groups than in

their respective UR-fed control groups. These levels were also

significantly higher in the

KD-UR group than in the SD-UR group. The levels increased from about

0.4 mM to

about 1.7 mM in the SD-R group and to about 3.0 mM in the KD-R group.

These

findings demonstrate that circulating b-hydroxybutyrate levels were

inversely related to

circulating glucose levels and that elevated b-hydroxybutyrate levels

alone are not

associated with seizure susceptibility.

Statistical relationships among variables

The relationship between body weight, food intake, plasma glucose

levels, plasma b-

hydroxybutyrate levels, and seizure susceptibility was determined

using Pearson bivariate

correlation analysis (Table 2). All variables were significantly (p <

0.01) correlated with

each other. Positive correlations were found among body weight, food

intake, glucose,

and seizure susceptibility. On the other hand, b-hydroxybutyrate was

negatively

correlated with all variables. The correlations among glucose, b-

hydroxybutyrate, and

seizure susceptibility were also apparent from the data in Figures 2-

4. Plasma glucose

was significantly (p < 0.001) associated with seizure susceptibility

in the EL mouse, as

determined by chi-square analysis (Fig. 5). These results support our

previous findings

that glucose levels are predictive of seizure susceptibility in adult

EL mice [21, 29].

Binary logistic regression was also used to determine the

relationship between seizure

susceptibility, plasma glucose, and plasma b-hydroxybutyrate levels

when mice were fed

either the SD and/or the KD. The data indicate that regardless of

diet, glucose could

predict seizure susceptibility with an approximate 75 to 78 %

accuracy (Table 3).

Although b-hydroxybutyrate could also predict seizure susceptibility,

we previously

showed that b-hydroxybutyrate levels were dependent on and were

inversely related to

plasma glucose levels [21].

Discussion

We found that restriction of either a high carbohydrate low fat

standard diet or a high

fat low carbohydrate KD was equally effective in reducing seizure

susceptibility in adult

EL mice with active epilepsy. Moreover, seizure susceptibility

remained similarly high

in these mice when either diet was fed ad libitum or unrestricted.

These findings indicate

that the KD, when fed unrestricted, is unable to reduce seizure

susceptibility in adult EL

mice. Although the KD delays epileptogenesis in young seizure naïve

EL mice when fed

ad libitum, the effect is transient [20]. These findings are

interesting since previous

observations with children suggest that the antiepileptic and

anticonvulsant effects of the

KD are best when the diet is administered in restricted amounts [25,

31]. Indeed, seizure

protection is often less in children that gain weight than in those

who maintain or reduce

body weight on the KD (Freeman, personal communication). Previous

studies also

indicate that restriction of high carbohydrate diets elevate seizure

threshold [58]. Our

findings in EL mice support these observations and suggest that CR

may be necessary for

the antiepileptic and anticonvulsant effects of the KD.

We previously showed that mild to moderate CR delayed epileptogenesis

and reduced

seizure susceptibility in seizure naïve juvenile and adult EL mice by

reducing blood

glucose and elevating ketone bodies [21]. Although our data show that

circulating b-

hydroxybutyrate levels are inversely related to circulating glucose

levels, elevated ketone

body levels are not directly associated with reduced seizure

susceptibility in EL mice.

This conclusion derives from the finding that seizure susceptibility

is high in the KD-UR

mice despite elevated b-hydroxybutyrate levels and from finding that

seizure protection

was similar in the SD-R and KD-R groups despite significantly higher

b-hydroxybutyrate

levels in the KD-R than in the SD-R group. These results are

consistent with previous

studies in EL mice and in non-genetic seizure models that elevated

ketone bodies alone

are unable to account for the antiepileptic or anticonvulsant action

of the KD [20, 31, 33-

38].

Under normal physiological conditions brain cells derive most of

their energy from

glucose or glucose-derived metabolites, e.g., lactate [46, 59, 60].

Also, brain glucose

uptake is greater during epileptic seizures than during most other

brain activities [43].

During fasting or caloric restriction, however, circulating glucose

levels fall causing brain

cells to rely more heavily for energy on ketone bodies that gradually

increase with food

restriction [29, 61]. It is the transition from glucose to ketone

bodies for brain energy that

is thought to underlie the antiepileptic and anticonvulsant effects

of caloric restriction

[29]. Although the KD we used contained no carbohydrates, the mice

eating this diet

maintained high glucose levels and seizure susceptibility. The

persistence of high

glucose levels in the KD-UR group would prevent the transition to

ketones for energy

despite high levels of circulating ketone bodies. Our results show

that circulating glucose

levels accurately predict seizure susceptibility in EL mice

regardless of diet composition

or circulating ketone body levels.

We used a new experimental design for caloric restriction in this

study. Instead of

restricting calories in the R-fed mice based on the average food

consumption of the UR

control mice as we did previously [21], each R-fed mouse served as

its own control to

achieve and maintain a 20-23% body weight reduction. We found in a

pilot study that

isocaloric restriction of the KD was unable to reduce body weight to

the same degree as

that observed for a similar restriction of the SD. The new

experimental design reduces

variability in body weights and in caloric intake among mice fed

diets widely different in

nutritional composition and caloric content. In using body weight,

rather than caloric

intake, as an independent variable we were able to more accurately

measure the statistical

associations among circulating energy metabolites and seizure

susceptibility. Thus, this

type of experimental design is recommended for those studies

attempting to evaluate the

relationships among nutrition, metabolism, and disease phenotype.

We previously discussed the potential mechanisms by which CR might

reduce seizure

susceptibility [21, 29, 38]. Some of the cellular systems potentially

modulated through

CR that could influence brain excitability are illustrated in Fig. 6.

We suggest that the

transition from glucose to ketone bodies as a major energy fuel for

the brain produces

multiple changes in gene-linked metabolic networks. It is these

changes that gradually

adjust neurotransmitter pools and membrane excitability to restore

the physiological

balance of excitation and inhibition [29]. CR could also influence

seizure susceptibility

through the neuroendocrine system involving leptin signaling and

increased levels of

neuropeptide-Y, a peptide with antiepileptic and anticonvulsant

effects [62-65]. While

the levels of g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are increased in

synaptosomes via the

increased action of glutamic acid decarboxylase during the metabolism

of ketone bodies

for energy, the levels of aspartate decrease due to the formation of

glutamate [66]. In

addition, ketone body metabolism could increase membrane ionic pump

activity [67, 68].

Increased pump activity could increase membrane potential in neurons

while also

increasing neurotransmitter uptake in glia [29]. We do not exclude

the possibility that

CR may reduce seizure susceptibility in EL mice through additional

mechanisms [31,

69]. It is our contention that CR reduces seizure susceptibility

through multiple

integrated systems providing a multifactorial therapy to a

multifactorial disease. Further

studies in the EL mouse and in other epilepsy models are needed to

identify the exact

mechanisms of CR action in managing epileptic events.

Conclusions

We conclude that seizure susceptibility in EL mice is dependent on

plasma glucose

levels and that seizure control depends more on the amount than on

the origin of dietary

calories. Also, we found that CR underlies the antiepileptic action

of the KD in EL mice.

A transition from glucose to ketone bodies for energy is predicted to

manage EL epileptic

seizures through multiple integrated changes of inhibitory and

excitatory neural systems.

Methods

Mice

The inbred EL/Suz (EL) mice were originally obtained from J. Suzuki

(Tokyo Institute of

Psychiatry). The mice were maintained in the Boston College Animal

Care Facility as an inbred

strain by brother x sister mating. The mice were group housed (prior

to initiation of study) in

plastic cages with Sani-chip bedding (P.J. Forest Products

Corp., Montville, N.J.) and

kept on a 12-hr light/dark cycle at approximately 22 o C. Cotton

nesting pads were provided for

warmth when animals were individually housed. All cages and water

bottles were changed once

per week. Only females were used for these studies as adult males die

sporadically with age

from acute uremia poisoning due to urinary retention [70]. The

procedures for animal use were

in strict accordance with the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of

Laboratory Animals and were

approved by the Institutional Animal Care Committee.

Seizure Susceptibility and Seizure Testing

Seizure onset in EL mice is generally between 60-70 days of age as

previously described [6].

These seizures occur occasionally during routine cage changing. Our

recently developed seizure

handling protocol was used to regularly induce seizure susceptibility

in EL mice [6, 21]. Briefly,

the testing procedure included repetitive handling and simulated the

stress normally associated

with weekly cage changing, i.e., picking the mouse up by the tail for

short intervals and

transferring it to a clean cage with fresh bedding. The test included

two trials that were separated

by 30 min. In each trial, a single mouse was held by the tail for 30

sec at approximately 10-15

cm above the bedding of its home cage. After 30 sec, the mouse was

placed into a clean cage

with fresh bedding for 2 min. The mouse was then held again for 15

sec before being returned to

its home cage. Trial 2 was performed even if the mouse experienced a

seizure in trial 1. The

epileptic seizures commenced during holding or soon after the mice

were placed on the clean

bedding. Mice that developed an epileptic seizure while handling were

placed immediately in

either the clean cage or their home cage depending on the testing

stage. Mice were tested each

week for a total of 13 measurements over a 12-week period using this

method. Mice were

undisturbed between testing phases (no cage changing) and testing was

performed between 12 to

3 pm.

Seizure Phenotype

Mice were designated seizure susceptible if they experienced a

generalized seizure during

seizure testing. Generalized seizures in EL mice involve loss of

postural equilibrium and

consciousness, together with excessive salivation, head, limb, and

chewing/swallowing

automatisms. An erect forward-arching Straub tail, indicative of

spinal cord activation, was seen in most mice having generalized

seizures. Mice that displayed only vocalization and

twitching without progression to generalized seizure were not

considered seizure susceptible 21]. Seizure susceptibility scores

were generated for each mouse according to the seizure

severity scores previously described [6]. Mice having a score of 4 or

5 were assigned a

susceptibility score of 1.0, whereas mice having a seizure severity

score less than 4 were given susceptibility score of 0. The seizure

susceptibility for each mouse was then averaged over

multiple tests and the mean seizure susceptibility for a mouse

dietary group was determined.

Diets

All mice received PROLAB RMH3000 chow diet (LabDiet, Richmond, IN,

USA)

prior to the experiment. This is the standard food pellet diet (SD)

and contained a

balance of mouse nutritional ingredients. According to the

manufacturer's specification,

this diet delivers 4.4 Kcal/g gross energy, where fat, carbohydrate,

protein, and fiber

comprised 55 g, 520 g, 225 g, and 45 g/Kg of the diet, respectively.

The ketogenic diet

(KD) was obtained from the Zeigler Bros., Inc. (Gardners, PA, USA) in

butter-like form

and also contained a balance of mouse nutritional ingredients.

According to the

manufacturer's specification, the KD delivers 7.8 Kcal/g gross

energy, where fat,

carbohydrate, protein, and fiber comprised 700 g, 0 g, 128 g, and 109

g/Kg of the diet,

respectively. The fat in this diet was derived from lard and the diet

had a ketogenic ratio

(fats: proteins + carbohydrates) of 5.48:1. The individual %

composition of each dietary

energy component for the SD and KD diet is shown on Table 1.

Pre-Trial Period

Seizure susceptibility, body weight, and food intake was measured

four times over a

three-week period in 24 singly caged female EL mice (approximately

210 days of age).

All mice received the SD during the pre-trial period and food intake

was determined by

subtracting the weight of food pellets remaining in the food hopper

after one week from

the initial amount given (200 g). The difference was then divided by

seven to estimate

the average daily food intake. Thus, all mice were highly seizure

susceptible at the

initiation of the diet therapy.

Dietary Treatment

After the three-week pre-trial period, the mice were placed into four

groups (n = 6

mice/group) where the average body weight of each group was similar

(about 31.0 + 1.5 g) (Fig.

1). All mice were then fasted for 14 hr to establish a similar

metabolic set point at the start of the

experiment (arrow, Fig. 1). The mice in each group were then given

one of four diets to include:

1) the standard diet fed ad libitum or unrestricted (SD-UR), 2) the

KD fed ad libitum or

unrestricted (KD-UR), 3) the SD restricted to achieve a 20-23% body

weight reduction from the

pre-trial weight (SD-R), and 4) the KD restricted to achieve a 20-23%

body weight reduction

from the pre-trial weight (KD-R). Each mouse in the two R groups

served as its own control for

body weight reduction. Based on food intake and body weight during

the pre-trial period, food

in the R-fed mouse groups was reduced until each mouse achieved the

target weight reduction of

a 20-23%. In other words, the daily amount of food given to each R

mouse was reduced

gradually until it reached 77-80% of its initial (pre-trial) body

weight.

The mice in the SD-UR group received 200 g of food in the hopper/week

as in the pre-trial

period. For mice in the SD-R group, weighed food pellets were dropped

directly into each cage

for easy access. The KD was administered to the mice in a modified

plastic Falcon tissue culture

dish (60 mm x 15 mm). The dish edges were shaved to reduce the height

from 15 mm to about 6

mm. After placing about 5 g of KD in the dish for the KD-UR mice, the

dish with the weighed

KD was inverted and placed on the top of the food hopper. An empty

water bottle was placed on

top of the dish to prevent dish movement during animal feeding. The

butter-like consistency

adhered the KD to the inverted dish. This feeding apparatus allowed

the mice easy access to the

KD and prevented KD contact with bedding material. After about 24 hr,

the amount of KD

consumed was determined and another 5 grams of fresh KD were added to

the dish. The KD

was therefore given fresh every day without moving or disturbing the

mice. The total amount of

KD consumed per day was summed each week and divided by 7 to obtain

the average weekly

food intake of each mouse. For the KD- R mice, a calculated

restricted amount of KD was

placed directly on top of the food hopper bars for easy access. The R-

fed mice licked the bars

clean of the KD.

Measurement of plasma glucose and b bb b-hydroxybutyrate

Blood was collected approximately 1h after seizure testing except for

the pre-trial

period where blood was not collected. Blood was first collected from

all mice about 24

hr prior to the initiation of the 14hr fast (Fig. 1). Mice were

anesthetized with isoflurane,

USP (Halocarbon, River Edge, NJ, USA) and blood was collected in

heparinized tubes by

puncture of the retro-orbital sinus using a borosilated capillary

tube (FHC, Bowdoinham,

ME, USA). The blood was centrifuged at 6,000 x g for 10 min, the

plasma was collected,

and aliquots were stored at –80oC until analysis. Plasma glucose

concentration was

measured spectrophotometrically using the Trinder Assay (Sigma-

Aldrich, St. Louis,

MO, USA). Plasma b-hydroxybutyrate concentration was measured using

either the

Stanbio b-Hydroxybutyrate LiquiColor® procedure (Stanbio, Boerne, TX,

USA), or a

modification of the on et al procedure [71].

Statistical Analysis

Both ANOVA and a two-tailed t test were used to evaluate the

significance of

differences of body weight, seizure susceptibility, plasma glucose

levels, and plasma b-

hydroxybutyrate levels between unrestricted and restricted groups.

Chi-square analysis

was performed on the association between glucose and seizures.

Pearson bivariate

correlation analysis (SPSS software) was used to determine the

relationship between

body weight, food intake, plasma glucose levels, plasma b-

hydroxybutyrate levels, and

seizure susceptibility. Binary logistic regression (SPSS) was used to

determine the

relationship between seizure susceptibility, plasma glucose, and b-

hydroxybutyrate levels

on mice fed either the SD or the KD. Differences were considered

significant at p < 0.01.

All values are expressed as mean + SEM. All statistical data were

presented according to

the recommendations of Lang et al., [72].

Lists of abbreviations

AED, antiepileptic drug; CR, caloric restriction; KD, ketogenic diet;

R, restricted; SD,

standard diet; UR, unrestricted.

Competing interests

None declared.

Table 1 - Composition (%) of the Standard Diet and the Ketogenic

Diet

Components Standard Diet Ketogenic Diet

(SD) (KD)

Carbohydrate 62 0

Fat 6 75

Protein 27 14

Fiber 5 12

Energy (Kcal/gr) 4.4 7.8

Cheers, Alan Pater

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