In rats, a drug that blocks kisspeptin (called p234) lowered brain wave activity and reduced seizure-like spikes when it was given before a seizure trigger, but the natural kisspeptin peptide itself had no effect. This was a lab study on brain activity, not a human trial.

We aimed to investigate the effects of central kisspeptin-10 and p234 administration on basal brain activity and epilepsy-like conditions induced by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), as well as their roles in the electrocorticogram (ECoG) power spectrum and EEG waves. Thirty-five male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: sham,4-AP (2.5&#x2009;mg/kg i.p.), kisspeptin-10 post-treatment (200 pmoli.c.v.), p234 post-treatment (1&#x2009;nmol i.c.v.), and p234 pre-treatment (1&#x2009;nmol i.c.v.). We performed 70&#x2009;minutes of recordings (10 min baseline) for all groups under ketamine/xylazine (90/10&#x2009;mg/kg) anesthesia. In the post-treatment groups, kisspeptin-10 or p234 injections were administered 20&#x2009;minutes after epilepsy induction. In the pre-treatment group, p234 was injected after baseline recordings. Following a 20-minute pre-treatment period, 4-AP was administered. 4-AP alone induced epileptiform activity in all animals, reaching apeak after 30&#x2009;minutes. Neither kisspeptin-10 nor p234 post-treatment affected 4-AP-induced epileptiform activity (<i>p</i>&#x2009;&gt;&#x2009;0.05). However, p234 pre-treatment reduced epileptiform activity (<i>p</i>&#x2009;&lt;&#x2009;0.05). Additionally, kisspeptin-10 did not alter the spectral analysis of the EEG bands or the power of the ECoG (<i>p</i>&#x2009;&gt;&#x2009;0.05). In contrast, p234 reduced the power of the ECoG and the slow bands (delta and theta) (<i>p</i>&#x2009;&lt;&#x2009;0.05). We conclude that p234 pre-treatment has an inhibitory effect on neuronal excitability and epileptiform activity in the neocortex.