Abstracts

Rationale: Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) is produced in ovarian follicles and acts upon binding to a specific AMH receptor type II (AMHRII). Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have up to 3x higher plasma AMH levels compared to normal population and AMH levels seem to positively correlate with PCOS severity. Brain expression of AMHRII in the cortex and especially in the hippocampus suggests that AMH is a potential neuroactive agent and acts beyond the reproductive system. About 25% of women with temporal lobe epilepsy have PCOS, which is 2-3x more frequent compared to women without epilepsy. We used an in vitro model of epileptiform activity to test whether AMH alters the neuronal firing within the hippocampus. Methods: We used combined hippocampus-entorhinal cortex slices from gonadally intact female rats. Estrous cycle was monitored. Epileptiform activity in vitro was induced by removing [Mg2+]o and recorded from the CA1 and the CA3 hippocampal regions. AMH (5 ng/ml) was bath applied once the low-magnesium-induced epileptiform activity was established. Changes in frequency of ictal activity following AMH were determined. Statistical significance was calculated using Student’s paired t-test. Results: Bath application of AMH significantly influenced the epileptiform activity independently of the gonadal status. The spiking frequency was significantly increased following AMH application (P = 0.04). Conclusions: Our data show that AMH modulates hippocampal neuronal activity by enhancing neuronal excitability. The data suggest that in women with temporal lobe epilepsy and suffering with PCOS, the high levels of AMH may contribute to worsening of seizure activity. Funding: Private donations