title: Differential neurochemical effects of chronic exposure of cerebral cortical cell culture to valproic acid, diazepam, or ethosuximide.
abstract: We have assessed the relative neurochemical effects of valproic acid, ethosuximide, and diazepam on dissociated cultures of mouse cerebral cortex. Cultures were exposed chronically (11 days) to each antiepileptic drug and assayed for number of neurons, total protein, tetanus toxin fixation, high-affinity uptake of gamma-aminobutyric acid and beta-alanine, choline acetyltransferase activity, and specific and clonazepam-displaceable benzodiazepine binding. Ethosuximide-exposed cultures did not evidence neuronal toxicity; exposure to valproic acid and diazepam resulted in modest neuronal toxicity. However, exposure to each of these drugs resulted in a marked reduction in benzodiazepine binding. This effect may relate to a common mechanism of action of drugs used to treat absence seizures.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects*; D003975:Diazepam / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005013:Ethosuximide / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D005013:Ethosuximide; D014635:Valproic Acid; D003975:Diazepam