Morte, Maria I.Carreira, Bruno P.Falcao, Maria J.Ambrosio, Antonio F.Soares-da-Silva, PatricioAraújo, InêsCarvalho, Caetana M.2018-12-072018-12-072013-120887-2333http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/11222In this study we evaluated the neurotoxicity of eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL), and of its in vivo metabolites eslicarbazepine (S-Lic) and R-licarbazepine (R-Lic), as compared to the structurally-related compounds carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OXC), in an in vitro model of cultured rat hippocampal neurons. The non-related antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) lamotrigine (LTG) and sodium valproate (VPA) were also studied. We assessed whether AEDs modulate pro-survival/pro-apoptotic pathways, such as extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), Akt and stress activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK). We found that neither ESL nor its metabolites, CBZ or LTG, up to 0.3 mM, for 24 h of exposure, decreased cell viability. OXC was the most toxic drug decreasing cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, leading to activation of caspase-3 and PARP cleavage. VPA caused the appearance of the apoptotic markers, but did not alter cell viability. ESL, S-Lic and OXC decreased the levels of phospho-ERK1/2 and of phospho-Akt, when compared to basal levels, whereas CBZ decreased phospho-SAPK/JNK and phospho-Akt levels. LTG and VPA increased the phosphorylation levels of SAPK/JNK. These results suggest that ESL and its main metabolite S-Lic, as well as CBZ, LTG and VPA, are less toxic to hippocampal neurons than OXC, which was the most toxic agent. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.engEslicarbazepine-Acetate Bia-2-093Apoptosis-inducing factorSignal-regulated kinaseGated sodium-channelsMethyl-D-AspartateMood stabilizersDeveloping brainProtein-KinaseCell-deathHealthy-volunteersjournal article10.1016/j.tiv.2013.09.008