Vol 49, No 1 (2011)
Original paper
Published online: 2011-04-19
Levetiracetam protects hippocampal neurons in culture against hypoxia-induced injury
DOI: 10.5603/FHC.2011.0021
Folia Histochem Cytobiol 2011;49(1):148-152.
Abstract
Many experimental studies indicate that some antiepileptic drugs possess neuroprotective properties
in varied models of neuronal injury. Levetiracetam is a second-generation antiepileptic drug with a novel mechanism
of action. In the present study, we evaluated the putative neuroprotective effect of levetiracetam on primary
hippocampal cultures at seven day in vitro. Cell death was induced by incubation of neural cultures in hypoxic
conditions over 24 hours. Neuronal injury was assessed by morphometric investigation of death/total ratio of
neurons in light microscopy using Trypan blue staining and by evaluation of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release
in the culture medium. Our results indicate that pre-conditioning of hippocampal cultures with high concentrations
of levetiracetam (100 μM and 300 μM) protects neurons against hypoxia-induced death. Two-fold
higher number of neurons remained viable as compared to control cultures without drug. Lack of neuroprotective
action of the drug on hippocampal neural cultures was observed, when a low concentration (10 μM) of
levetiracetam was used. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011, Vol. 49, No. 1, 148–152)
Keywords: levetiracetamneuroprotectionhippocampal culturehypoxia
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