The Mechanism of Anti-Epileptogenesis by Levetiracetam Treatment is Similar to the Spontaneous Recovery of Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy during Adolescence

• Published in: Psychiatry investigation Vol. 14; no. 6; pp. 844 - 850
• Main Authors: Kikuyama, Hiroki, Hanaoka, Tadahito, Kanazawa, Tetsufumi, Yoshida, Yasushi, Mizuno, Takafumi, Toyoda, Hirotaka, Yoneda, Hiroshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 01.11.2017; 대한신경정신의학회
• Subjects: Original; 정신과학; Epileptogenesis; Idiopathic generalized epilepsy; Noda epileptic rat; Apoptosis; Levetiracetam
• ISSN: 1738-3684; 1976-3026
• DOI: 10.4306/pi.2017.14.6.844

The anti-epileptogenic drug levetiracetam has anticonvulsant and anti-epileptogenesis effects. Synergy between cell death and inflammation can lead to increased levels of apoptosis inhibitory factors and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, aberrant neurogenesis and extended axon sprouting. Once hyperexcitation of the neural network occurs, spontaneous seizures or epileptogenesis develops. This study investigated whether the anti-epileptogenic effect of levetiracetam is due to its alternate apoptotic activity. Adult male Noda epileptic rats were treated with levetiracetam or vehicle control for two weeks. mRNA quantification of Bax, Bcl-2 and GAPDH expression were performed from prefrontal cortex and hippocampus tissue samples. The levetiracetam-treated group showed a significant increase of Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA expression ratio in the prefrontal cortex than the control group, but no change in the Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA expression ratio in hippocampus. Idiopathic generalized epilepsy including childhood absence epilepsy develop at childhood and recover spontaneously during adolescence. The aberrant neural excitable network is pruned by a neural-maturing action. This study suggests the mechanism of acquired anti-epileptogenesis by levetiracetam treatment may be similar to spontaneous recovery of idiopathic generalized epilepsy during adolescence.