title: Pattern of antiepileptic drug-induced cell death in limbic regions of the neonatal rat brain.
abstract: The induction of neuronal apoptosis throughout many regions of the developing rat brain by phenobarbital and phenytoin, two drugs commonly used for the treatment of neonatal seizures, has been well documented. However, several limbic regions have not been included in previous analyses. Because drug-induced damage to limbic brain regions in infancy could contribute to emotional and psychiatric sequelae, it is critical to determine the extent to which these regions are vulnerable to developmental neurotoxicity. To evaluate the impact of antiepileptic drug (AED) exposure on limbic nuclei, we treated postnatal day 7 rat pups with phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, or vehicle, and examined nucleus accumbens, septum, amygdala, piriform cortex, and frontal cortex for cell death. Histologic sections were processed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay to label apoptotic cells. Nucleus accumbens displayed the highest level of baseline cell death (vehicle group), as well as the greatest net increase in cell death following phenobarbital or phenytoin. Phenobarbital exposure resulted in a significant increase in cell death in all brain regions, whereas phenytoin exposure increased cell death only in the nucleus accumbens. Carbamazepine was without effect on cell death in any brain region analyzed, suggesting that the neurotoxicity observed is not an inherent feature of AED action. Our findings demonstrate pronounced cell death in several important regions of the rat limbic system following neonatal administration of phenobarbital, the first-line treatment for neonatal seizures in humans. These findings raise the possibility that AED exposure in infancy may contribute to adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes later in life.
authors: Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA. paf22@georgetown.edu
authors: Patrick A
authors: PA
authors: Forcelli
authors: Jinsook
authors: J
authors: Kim
authors: Alexei
authors: A
authors: Kondratyev
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Gale
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D008032:Limbic System / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants