title: Effects of lacosamide "a novel antiepileptic drug" in the early stages of chicken embryo development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are teratogens and confer a risk of congenital malformation. The estimated prevalence of major congenital malformations such as cardiac defects, facial clefts, hypospadias, and neural tube defects in epileptic women is 4-10 %, which represents a two- to fourfold increase in pregnant women compared to the general population. However, there are no clear data for newer drugs. Lacosamide (LCM), a novel AED, is the first of the third-generation AEDs to be approved as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial-onset seizures. There are no data on the pharmacokinetics of LCM during pregnancy, and only some published data have reported on its effects during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, three different doses of LCM (0.12, 0.5, and 1.60 mg in 0.18 mL) were applied under the embryonic disks of specific pathogen-free Leghorn chicken embryos after a 30-h incubation. Incubation was continued for 80 h, at which time all embryos were evaluated macroscopically and microscopically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was growth retardation in all of the LCM-treated groups. Major malformations increased in a dose-dependent manner and were mostly observed in the supratherapeutic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on our data, LCM may cause growth retardation or major congenital malformations. Nevertheless, more extensive investigations of its reliability are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department Neurosurgery, Celal Bayar University School of Medicine, Yelken Evleri Sitesi B Blok k:5 d:16 Güzelyurt, Manisa, Turkey. dr.mmete@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mesut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mete
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Letters Zoology Section, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Beyhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gurcu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Letters Zoology Section, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Collu
authors.affiliation: Department Neurosurgery, Celal Bayar University School of Medicine, Yelken Evleri Sitesi B Blok k:5 d:16 Güzelyurt, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ulkun Unlu
authors.initials: UU
authors.lastname: Unsal
authors.affiliation: Department Neurosurgery, Celal Bayar University School of Medicine, Yelken Evleri Sitesi B Blok k:5 d:16 Güzelyurt, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf Kurtulus
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Duransoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology-Embryology, Celal Bayar University School of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Ibrahim
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Tuglu
authors.affiliation: Department Neurosurgery, Celal Bayar University School of Medicine, Yelken Evleri Sitesi B Blok k:5 d:16 Güzelyurt, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Selcuki
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000633:toxicity*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000078334:Lacosamide; D009421:Nervous System Malformations / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000078334:Lacosamide
keywords: Anti-epileptic; Chick embryo; Lacosamide; Malformation