title: Genotoxic effects of prenatal exposure to levetiracetam during pregnancy on rat offsprings.
abstract: Levetiracetam is a new-generation antiepileptic drug initially approved as an adjunctive treatment for patients with refractory partial seizures and is now also used as a monotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic effects of levetiracetam exposure during pregnancy on rat offsprings. In this study, we used the newborn pups of rats exposed to levetiracetam during pregnancy. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups. The mother rats of groups 1 and 2 were treated with different doses of levetiracetam (25 mg/kg/d and 50 mg/kg/d) from gestational days 1 to 18 during pregnancy. Group 3 (control group) was not treated with any drug. In vivo sister chromatid exchange (SCE) induction and in vivo micronucleus formation were assessed. Bone marrow from rat pups were used for investigation. As a result of this study, levetiracetam exposure did not alter SCE frequencies or the mean of number of micronuclei in the prenatal period (p>0.05). Levetiracetam did not cause miscarriage during pregnancy in mother rats. The present study highlighted fetal safety after prenatal exposure to levetiracetam.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey stural@omu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Sengul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tural
authors.affiliation: School of Health, Ahi Evran University, Kırsehir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Akin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tekcan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elbistan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nevin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karakuş
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hamit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozyurek
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurten
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective / Q000139:chemically induced; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010889:Piracetam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D009153:Mutagens; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam
keywords: Levetiracetam; micronucleus; prenatal exposure; sister chromatid exchange