Back
Acta Physiologica 2009; Volume 197, Supplement 674
Belgian Society for Fundamental and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology, Autumn Meeting 2009
10/24/2009-10/24/2009
Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
EFFECT OF LEVETIRACETAM ON HIPPOCAMPAL PROTEIN EXPRESSION AND CELL PROLIFERATION IN RATS
Abstract number: P-07
Raedt1 R., Paulson2 L., Parsson3 Å., Van Dycke1 A., Kuhn3 G., Boon1 P., Ben-Menachem3 E., Vonck1 K.
1Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium
2Vilhelm Magnus Laboratory for Neurosurgical Research, University of Oslo, Norway.
3Center for Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, Gteborg University, Gteborg, Sweden
Introduction
Levetiracetam (LEV) is a broad-spectrum anti-epileptic drug (AED). The precise mechanism of action (MOA) of LEV remains unclarified. To further unrafel the potential MOA pathways of LEV this study investigated altered protein expression and cell proliferation in rat hippocampal tissue during LEV administration.
Methods
On day 1 of the experiment, rats (n=20) were randomly assigned to a treatment group (LEV, 600 mg/kg/day, n=10) and a control group (saline, n=10). On days 2 and 3 rats were injected with BrDU (50mg/kg, i.p., BID). On day 7 the right brain hemisphere was processed for histology. The left hippocampus was dissected and frozen for proteomic analysis. Proteins were extracted from the tissue and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was performed.
Results
Treatment with levetiracetam did not influence cell proliferation in the hippocampus. Multivariate analysis of differential protein expression, determined by proteomic analysis, revealed a significant clustering of the control and treatment groups. Twenty of the most up- and down-regulated proteins, correlating to the dependent variable, were identified by mass spectroscopy.
Discussion
Although levetiracetam does not influence hippocampal cell proliferation, it does have a significant effect on the expression of proteins involved in a variety of physiological processes. Further work needs to be done to identify which of these proteins are involved in the anti-epileptic effects of levetiracetam.
To cite this abstract, please use the following information:
Acta Physiologica 2009; Volume 197, Supplement 674 :P-07