Turkish Neurosurgery 2013 , Vol 23 , Num 5
The Effects of Levetiracetam on Neural Tube Development in the Early Stage of Chick Embryos
Yahya GUVENC1, Ali DALGIC2, Deniz BILLUR3, Derya KARAOGLU2, Sevim AYDIN3, Ergun DAGLIOGLU2, Cagatay OZDOL2, Osman Arikan NACAR2, Ali Erdem YILDIRIM2, Deniz BELEN2
1Dr. Nafiz Korez Sincan State Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara, Turkey
2Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara, Turkey
3Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology-Embryology, Ankara, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.7471-13.0 AIM: 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 METHODS: Forty-five Atabey® breed fertilized 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 was control group. The other eggs were applied physiological saline and drugs at a volume of 10 μL by the in ovo method at the 28th hour of the incubation period. Group B was given distilled water; Group C, physiological saline; 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 and morphologically and histologically evaluated.

RESULTS: Of the 45 embryos incubated, neural tubes of 41 were closed and the embryos displayed normal development.

CONCLUSION: 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 Keywords : Levetiracetam, Chick embryo, Neural tube defect

Corresponding author : Yahya Guvenc, yahyaguvenc@yahoo.com.tr