The Effects OF Levetiracetam ON Neural Tube Development IN THE Early Stage OF Chick Embryos

Introduction:Antiepileptic drugs used during pregnancy may lead to neural tube defects. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a new generation antiepileptic agent, Levetiracetam, on the neural tube development in a chick embryo model that corresponds to the first month of vertebral development in mammals.

Material and Method :Forty-five Atabey® breed fertilized (genoblast) chicken eggs with no specific pathogens were randomly divided into 5 groups. All of the eggs were incubated at 37.8±2°C and 60±5 % relative humidity in an incubator. Group A (control) was not subjected to any intervention and was incubated for 48 hours. The other eggs were applied serum physiological and drugs at a volume of 10 μL by inovo method at the 28th hour of the incubation period. Group B was given distilled water; Group C, serum physiological; Group D, Levetiracetam (L8668) at a dose equivalent to the treatment dose for humans (10 mg/kg), and Group E, Levetiracetam (L8668) at a dose of 10 times the treatment dose. The embryos in all of the groups were removed from the shells at the 48th hour (12th stage based on Hamburger-Hamilton staging) and morphologically and histologically evaluated.

Results :Of the 45 embryos incubated, neural tubes of 41 were closed and the embryos displayed normal development. Only one embryo in Group A had an unclosed neural tube; one embryo in Group C was dead, and one embryo was dead and another one had an unclosed neural tube in Group E.

Conclusions :Levetiracetam, at a dose equivalent to human treatment dose and 10 times the treatment dose, was shown not to cause neural tube defects in chick embryos. Levetiracetam may be a safer drug alternative when used in therapeutic index dose interval during gestation period of epileptic women .