title: Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in rat astrocyte cultures treated with Levetiracetam.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Levetiracetam, a new antiepileptic drug, on the synthesis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in rat cortical astrocyte cultures. The astrocytes were treated for 48 h with different concentrations of Levetiracetam and the expression of BDNF and iNOS was analyzed by immunostaining and immunoblotting analyses. We observed that Levetiracetam is able to stimulate expression of both BDNF and iNOS in a concentration-dependent manner on rat cortical astrocyte cultures. For the BDNF, this effect appears at very low concentrations (1 and 10 microgram/ml), while expression of iNOS appears only at higher dosages (50 microgram/ml). We conclude that Levetiracetam might exert neuroprotective effects, at least in part, via stimulation of neurotrophic factors, thus reducing the extent of inflammation and neuronal death under pathological conditions such as epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Catania, V.le Andrea Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Venera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cardile
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pavone
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gulino
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Renis
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scifo
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perciavalle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D010889:Piracetam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; D010889:Piracetam