Effects of Levetiracetam in Lipid Peroxidation Level, Nitrite–Nitrate Formation and Antioxidant Enzymatic Activity in Mice Brain After Pilocarpine-Induced Seizures

Abstract

: Oxidative stress has been implicated in a large number of human degenerative diseases, including epilepsy. Levetiracetam (LEV) is a new antiepileptic agent with broad-spectrum effects on seizures and animal models of epilepsy. Recently, it was demonstrated that the mechanism of LEV differs from that of conventional antiepileptic drugs. Objectifying to investigate if LEV mechanism of action involves antioxidant properties, lipid peroxidation levels, nitrite-nitrate formation, catalase activity, and glutathione (GSH) content were measured in adult mice brain. The neurochemical analyses were carried out in hippocampus of animals pretreated with LEV (200 mg/kg, i.p.) 60 min before pilocarpine-induced seizures (400 mg/kg, s.c.). The administration of alone pilocarpine, 400 mg/kg, s.c. (P400) produced a significant increase of lipid peroxidation level in hippocampus. LEV pretreatment was able to counteract this increase, preserving the lipid peroxidation level in normal value. P400 administration also produced increase in the nitrite-nitrate formation and catalase activity in hippocampus, beyond a decrease in GSH levels. LEV administration before P400 prevented the P400-induced alteration in nitrite-nitrate levels and preserved normal values of catalase activity in hippocampus. Moreover, LEV administration prevented the P400-induced loss of GSH in this cerebral area. The present data suggest that the protective effects of LEV against pilocarpine-induced seizures can be mediated, at least in part, by reduction of lipid peroxidation and hippocampal oxidative stress.

Antioxidant activity ofCitrus limonessential oil in mouse hippocampus

“…Treatment of animals with (0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 g/kg) of EO of C. limon significantly prevented elevations in lipid peroxidation and nitrite. It is also known that neurodegenerative diseases followed by an increase in lipid peroxidation and nitrite in brain tissue might be diminished by substances with antioxidant properties (Walz et al, 2000;Barros et al, 2007;Oliveira et al, 2007). Thus, our results suggest that, at least in part, the EO of C. limon bioprotective activities are also probably related to its antioxidant effects against lipid peroxidation in mice hippocampus.…”

“…A growing body of evidence has suggested that ROS generation may underlie the neurotoxic effects of neurodegenerative diseases Liang et al, 2007;Oliveira et al, 2007;Militão et al, 2010). Several plant-derived products that exhibit direct antioxidant activity are also being shown to have anticonvulsant activity (McCord, 1995;Hsieh et al, 1999).…”

Levetiracetam improves symptoms of multiple chemical sensitivity: Case report

“…The mechanisms are paradoxical ; the amplitudes of the late postsynaptic field potentials are decreased for hyperactive synapses, with minimal effect on normal synaptic transmission (7). Recent studies also showed that levetiracetam has antioxidant property (8,9), and inhibits NO level (10).…”

Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids enhance the protective effect of levetiracetam against seizures, cognitive impairment and hippocampal oxidative DNA damage in young kindled rats

“…It acts by binding to synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) modulating one or more of its actions, ultimately affecting neural excitability (Lynch et al, 2004). LEV also has been found to exert an antioxidant effect, where it protects against Pilocarpine and kainic acid-induced seizures via its antioxidant potential (Oliveira et al, 2007;Marini et al, 2004).…”