68 research outputs found
Implications of antiinflammatory properties of the anticonvulsant drug levetiracetam in astrocytes
No full textThere is accumulating evidence that epileptic activity is accompanied by inflammatory processes. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of levetiracetam (Keppra), an anticonvulsant drug with decisive antiepileptic features, with regard to its putative antiinflammatory potential. We previously established an in vitro cell culture model to mimic inflammatory conditions: Primary astrocytic cultures of newborn rats were cocultured with 30% (M30) microglial cells. Alternatively, co-cultures containing 5% microglia (M5) were incubated with the proinflammatory mediator, the cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent bacterial activator of the immune system. For the M30 cocultures, we observed reduced expression of connexin 43 (Cx43), the predominant gap junction protein. Impaired functional dye coupling and depolarized membrane resting potential (MRP) were monitored in M30 cocultures as well as in M5 cocultures treated with IL-1 beta and LPS. We could show that the Cx43 expression, the coupling property, and the membrane resting potential on which we focused our inflammatory coculture model were normalized to noninflammatory level under treatment with levetiracetam (Keppra). Cumulatively, our results provide evidence for antiinflammatory properties of levetiracetam in seizure treatment. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc
Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induction in mice with cuprizone-induced demyelination leads to cerebral MS-like lesions
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Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induction in mice with cuprizone-induced demyelination leads to cerebral MS-like lesions
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Molecular small animal imaging in an Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) rat model
No full textThe Combination of Interferon-Beta and HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibition in Multiple Sclerosis: Enthusiasm Lost too Soon?
No full textRecent studies support the notion that statins, widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering agents, may target key elements in the immunological cascade leading to inflammation and tissue damage in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Compelling experimental and observational clinical studies highlighted the possibility that statins may also exert immunomodulatory synergy with approved MS drugs, resulting in several randomized clinical trials testing statins in combination with interferon-beta (IFN-?). Some data, however, suggest that this particular combination may not be clinically beneficial, and might actually have a negative effect on the disease course in some patients with MS. In this regard, a small North American trial indicated that atorvastatin administered in combination with IFN-? may increase disease activity in relapsing-remitting MS. Although other trials did not confirm this finding, the enthusiasm for studies with statins dwindled. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the completed clinical trials and reports of the interim analyses evaluating the combination of IFN-? and statins in MS. Moreover, we try to address the evident question whether usage of this combination routinely requires caution, since the number of IFN-?-treated MS patients receiving statins for lowering of cholesterol is expected to grow
Increased axonal damage in p75(NTR)-knockout mice after induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by adoptive transfer
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