Modulation of NMDA receptor by miR-219 in the amygdala and hippocampus of patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy

•MiR-219 and NMDA-NR1 expressions are inverse both for amygdala and hippocampus.•NR1 and GluR2 were upregulated in the amygdala of patients with epilepsy.•MiR-219 may play a regulatory role in excitatory neurotransmission in epilepsy. Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis is the most frequent form of focal epilepsy in adults, and it is often refractory to drug treatment. Regardless of the efforts on developing new antiepileptic drugs for refractory cases, studies suggest a need for better understanding the molecular bases of epilepsy. The microRNAs have been progressively investigated as potential targets for both epilepsy mechanisms elucidation and treatment. Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate the differential expression of miR-219, miR-181b, and miR-195, previously described as regulators of the excitatory neurotransmitter receptors NMDA-R1 and AMPA-GluR2 and inhibitory neurotransmitter GABAA (α2, β3, and γ2 subunits) in the amygdala and hippocampus of patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Based on genes and miRNAs’ quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) from 18 patients with epilepsy, our results showed an inverse relationship between miR-219 and NMDA-NR1 expression in both the amygdala and hippocampus in comparison to their expression in controls. NR1 and GluR2 were upregulated in the amygdala of epileptic patients. Low miR-195 expression was observed in the amygdala of patients with epilepsy. Our findings indicate that miR-219 has a possible regulatory role in excitatory neurotransmission in patients with epilepsy, contributing to the new avenue of miRNA biology in drug-resistant epilepsy, reserving huge potential for future applications and clinical interventions in conjunction with existing therapies.