Neurosteroids modulate seizure susceptibility, but their role in the regulation of epileptogenesis is unknown. Status epilepticus inducestemporal lobe epileptogenesis following a latent period in which glial cells are activated. Here, we found that P450scc, the rate-limiting enzyme insteroid synthesis, is upregulated in hippocampal glia during the latent period after pilocarpine-induced SE in rats. More prolonged SE wasassociated with greater P450scc expression and longer latencies to the development of seizures, suggesting that enhanced steroid synthesis retardsepileptogenesis. The 5alpha-reductase inhibitor finasteride, which blocks neurosteroid synthesis, reduced the latent period, indicating that glia-derivedneurosteroids may be antiepileptogenic.