Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

In Vitro Cytogenotoxic Profile and In Silico Molecular Docking Analysis of Levetiracetam in SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cell Line

Year 2025, Volume: 26 Issue: 3, 232 - 239, 22.09.2025
https://doi.org/10.69601/meandrosmdj.1623741

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Objective: Levetiracetam (LEV) is an antiepileptic drug (AED) commonly used to control epilepsy seizure activity. There are studies elucidating the potential risks of LEV in vitro, in vivo or in the treatment of different diseases depending on the amelioration of damage at the protein level or cytogenotoxicity. The aim of our study was to determine the in vitro cytogenotoxic effects of LEV and its molecular mechanism of action by in silico analysis.
Materials and Methods: SH-SY5Y cell line was cultured under standard conditions (37°C, 5% CO₂). CCK-8 kit was used to determine the cytotoxic effect. Genotoxicity potential was elucidated by Comet assay. Molecular mechanism of action was proposed by in silico molecular docking analysis.
Results: The cytotoxic effect of LEV was observed only at the lowest dose (1 µM). While the rate of damaged cells did not change in the Comet assay, there was a statistical difference in the genetic damage index. In silico results showed that the binding affinity of LEV to BDNA was weakly strong while it was strong to DNAPolβ.
Conclusion: LEV did not show cytotoxic effect (except the lowest dose) on SH-SY5Y cell line but it was found to have genotoxic effect.

References

  • 1. Contreras-Garcia IJ, Cardenas-Rodriguez N, Romo-Mancillas A, Bandala C, Zamudio SR, Gomez-Manzo S, et al. Levetiracetam Mechanisms of Action: From Molecules to Systems. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15.
  • 2. Fisher RS, Acevedo C, Arzimanoglou A, Bogacz A, Cross JH, Elger CE, et al. ILAE official report: a practical clinical definition of epilepsy. Epilepsia 2014; 55: 475-82.
  • 3. Howard P, Remi J, Remi C, Charlesworth S, Whalley H, Bhatia R, et al. Levetiracetam. J Pain Symptom Manage 2018; 56: 645-9.
  • 4. Klitgaard H, Matagne A, Nicolas JM, Gillard M, Lamberty Y, De Ryck M, et al. Brivaracetam: Rationale for discovery and preclinical profile of a selective SV2A ligand for epilepsy treatment. Epilepsia 2016; 57: 538-48.
  • 5. Madeja M, Margineanu DG, Gorji A, Siep E, Boerrigter P, Klitgaard H, et al. Reduction of voltage-operated potassium currents by levetiracetam: a novel antiepileptic mechanism of action? Neuropharmacology 2003; 45: 661-71.
  • 6. Vecht CJ, Kerkhof M, Duran-Pena A. Seizure prognosis in brain tumors: new insights and evidence-based management. The oncologist 2014; 19: 751-9.
  • 7. Chen J-S, Clarke R, Haddad AF, Wang EJ, Lacroix M, Sarkar IN, et al. The effect of levetiracetam treatment on survival in patients with glioblastoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of neuro-oncology 2022; 156: 257-67.
  • 8. Baiseitova A, Shah AB, Khan AM, Idrees M, Kim JH, Lee YH, et al. Antioxidant potentials of furanodihydrobenzoxanthones from Artocarpus elasticus and their protection against oxLDL induced injury in SH-SY5Y cells. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165: 115278.
  • 9. Shipley MM, Mangold CA, Szpara ML. Differentiation of the SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line. Journal of visualized experiments: JoVE 2016: 53193.
  • 10. Marutani A, Nakamura M, Nishimura F, Nakazawa T, Matsuda R, Hironaka Y, et al. Tumor-inhibition effect of levetiracetam in combination with temozolomide in glioblastoma cells. Neurochemical Journal 2017; 11: 43-9.
  • 11. El-Shorbagy HM, Hamdi H. Genotoxic and mutagenic studies of the antiepileptic drug levetiracetam in pregnant rats and their fetuses. Int J Pharm Sci 2016; 8: 82-8.
  • 12. Stockburger C, Miano D, Baeumlisberger M, Pallas T, Arrey TN, Karas M, et al. A mitochondrial role of SV2a protein in aging and Alzheimer’s disease: studies with levetiracetam. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2016; 50: 201-15.
  • 13. Ben-Menachem E. Levetiracetam: treatment in epilepsy. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2003; 4: 2079-88.
  • 14. Singh NP, McCoy MT, Tice RR, Schneider EL. A simple technique for quantitation of low levels of DNA damage in individual cells. Experimental cell research 1988; 175: 184-91.
  • 15. Ricci CG, Netz PA. Docking studies on DNA-ligand interactions: building and application of a protocol to identify the binding mode. Journal of chemical information and modeling 2009; 49: 1925-35.
  • 16. Nasab RR, Hassanzadeh F, Khodarahmi GA, Rostami M, Mirzaei M, Jahanian-Najafabadi A, et al. Docking study, synthesis and antimicrobial evaluation of some novel 4-anilinoquinazoline derivatives. Research in pharmaceutical sciences 2017; 12: 425-33.
  • 17. Kenger İH, Yıldız H, Hüsunet MT, DÖNbak L, Kayraldız A. Elucidation of the cytogenotoxic potential of vigabatrin and its in silico computer-assisted DNA interaction. Drug and Chemical Toxicology 2024; 47: 314-21.
  • 18. Shityakov S, Förster C. In silico predictive model to determine vector-mediated transport properties for the blood–brain barrier choline transporter. Advances and Applications in Bioinformatics and Chemistry 2014: 23-36.
  • 19. Fan J, Schiemer T, Vaska A, Jahed V, Klavins K. Cell via Cell Viability Assay Changes Cellular Metabolic Characteristics by Intervening with Glycolysis and Pentose Phosphate Pathway. Chemical Research in Toxicology 2024; 37: 208-11.
  • 20. Çiltaş AÇ, Gündoğdu S, Yulak F. Levetiracetam Protects Against Glutamate-Induced Excitotoxicity in SH-SY5Y Cell Line. International Journal of Nature and Life Sciences 2022; 6: 142-50.
  • 21. Sendrowski K, Sobaniec W, Stasiak-Barmuta A, Sobaniec P, Popko J. Study of the protective effects of nootropic agents against neuronal damage induced by amyloid-beta (fragment 25–35) in cultured hippocampal neurons. Pharmacological Reports 2015; 67: 326-31.
  • 22. Alavi MS, Al-Asady AM, Abbasinezhad-Moud F, Rajabian A, Rastegartizabi Z, Sadeghnia HR. Oligoprotective Activity of Levetiracetam against Glutamate Toxicity: An In vitro Study. Current Pharmaceutical Design 2025; 31: 57-64.
  • 23. Imai T, Sugiyama T, Iwata S, Nakamura S, Shimazawa M, Hara H. Levetiracetam, an antiepileptic drug has neuroprotective effects on intracranial hemorrhage injury. Neuroscience 2020; 431: 25-33.
  • 24. Sendrowski K, Sobaniec P, Poskrobko E, Rusak M, Sobaniec W. Unfavorable effect of levetiracetam on cultured hippocampal neurons after hyperthermic injury. Pharmacological Reports 2017; 69: 462-8.
  • 25. Calabrese EJ, Baldwin LA. Toxicology rethinks its central belief. Nature 2003; 421: 691-2.
  • 26. Stebbing A. A theory for growth hormesis. Belle Newsletter 1997; 6.
  • 27. Shahabadi N, Hadidi S. Spectroscopic studies on the interaction of calf thymus DNA with the drug levetiracetam. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 2012; 96: 278-83.

SH-SY5Y Nöroblastom Hücre Hattında Levetirasetamın In Vitro Sitogenotoksik Profili ve In Silico Moleküler Docking Analizi

Year 2025, Volume: 26 Issue: 3, 232 - 239, 22.09.2025
https://doi.org/10.69601/meandrosmdj.1623741

Abstract

Amaç: Levetirasetam (LEV), epilepsi nöbet aktivitesini kontrol etmek için yaygın olarak kullanılan bir antiepileptik ilaçtır (AEİ). LEV ile ilgili in vitro, in vivo veya farklı hastalıkların tedavisinde protein seviyesindeki hasarın iyileştirilmesine veya sitogenotoksisiteye bağlı potansiyel risklerini açıklayan çalışmalar vardır. Çalışmamızın amacı, LEV'in in vitro sitogenotoksik etkilerini ve in silico analiz ile moleküler etki mekanizmasını belirlemektir.
Materyal ve Yöntemler: SH-SY5Y hücre hattı standart koşullar altında (37°C, %5 CO₂) kültüre edilmiştir. Sitotoksik etkiyi belirlemek için CCK-8 kiti kullanılmıştır. Genotoksisite potansiyeli Comet testi ile aydınlatılmıştır. Moleküler etki mekanizması in silico moleküler docking analizi ile önerilmiştir.
Sonuçlar: LEV'in sitotoksik etkisi sadece en düşük dozda (1 µM) gözlenmiştir. Comet deneyinde hasarlı hücre oranı değişmezken, genetik hasar indeksinde istatistiksel bir fark vardı. In silico sonuçları LEV'in BDNA'ya bağlanma afinitesinin zayıf, DNAPolβ'ya ise güçlü olduğunu göstermiştir.
Sonuçlar: LEV, SH-SY5Y hücre hattı üzerinde sitotoksik etki göstermemiştir (en düşük doz hariç) ancak genotoksik etkiye sahip olduğu bulunmuştur.

References

  • 1. Contreras-Garcia IJ, Cardenas-Rodriguez N, Romo-Mancillas A, Bandala C, Zamudio SR, Gomez-Manzo S, et al. Levetiracetam Mechanisms of Action: From Molecules to Systems. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15.
  • 2. Fisher RS, Acevedo C, Arzimanoglou A, Bogacz A, Cross JH, Elger CE, et al. ILAE official report: a practical clinical definition of epilepsy. Epilepsia 2014; 55: 475-82.
  • 3. Howard P, Remi J, Remi C, Charlesworth S, Whalley H, Bhatia R, et al. Levetiracetam. J Pain Symptom Manage 2018; 56: 645-9.
  • 4. Klitgaard H, Matagne A, Nicolas JM, Gillard M, Lamberty Y, De Ryck M, et al. Brivaracetam: Rationale for discovery and preclinical profile of a selective SV2A ligand for epilepsy treatment. Epilepsia 2016; 57: 538-48.
  • 5. Madeja M, Margineanu DG, Gorji A, Siep E, Boerrigter P, Klitgaard H, et al. Reduction of voltage-operated potassium currents by levetiracetam: a novel antiepileptic mechanism of action? Neuropharmacology 2003; 45: 661-71.
  • 6. Vecht CJ, Kerkhof M, Duran-Pena A. Seizure prognosis in brain tumors: new insights and evidence-based management. The oncologist 2014; 19: 751-9.
  • 7. Chen J-S, Clarke R, Haddad AF, Wang EJ, Lacroix M, Sarkar IN, et al. The effect of levetiracetam treatment on survival in patients with glioblastoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of neuro-oncology 2022; 156: 257-67.
  • 8. Baiseitova A, Shah AB, Khan AM, Idrees M, Kim JH, Lee YH, et al. Antioxidant potentials of furanodihydrobenzoxanthones from Artocarpus elasticus and their protection against oxLDL induced injury in SH-SY5Y cells. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165: 115278.
  • 9. Shipley MM, Mangold CA, Szpara ML. Differentiation of the SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line. Journal of visualized experiments: JoVE 2016: 53193.
  • 10. Marutani A, Nakamura M, Nishimura F, Nakazawa T, Matsuda R, Hironaka Y, et al. Tumor-inhibition effect of levetiracetam in combination with temozolomide in glioblastoma cells. Neurochemical Journal 2017; 11: 43-9.
  • 11. El-Shorbagy HM, Hamdi H. Genotoxic and mutagenic studies of the antiepileptic drug levetiracetam in pregnant rats and their fetuses. Int J Pharm Sci 2016; 8: 82-8.
  • 12. Stockburger C, Miano D, Baeumlisberger M, Pallas T, Arrey TN, Karas M, et al. A mitochondrial role of SV2a protein in aging and Alzheimer’s disease: studies with levetiracetam. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2016; 50: 201-15.
  • 13. Ben-Menachem E. Levetiracetam: treatment in epilepsy. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2003; 4: 2079-88.
  • 14. Singh NP, McCoy MT, Tice RR, Schneider EL. A simple technique for quantitation of low levels of DNA damage in individual cells. Experimental cell research 1988; 175: 184-91.
  • 15. Ricci CG, Netz PA. Docking studies on DNA-ligand interactions: building and application of a protocol to identify the binding mode. Journal of chemical information and modeling 2009; 49: 1925-35.
  • 16. Nasab RR, Hassanzadeh F, Khodarahmi GA, Rostami M, Mirzaei M, Jahanian-Najafabadi A, et al. Docking study, synthesis and antimicrobial evaluation of some novel 4-anilinoquinazoline derivatives. Research in pharmaceutical sciences 2017; 12: 425-33.
  • 17. Kenger İH, Yıldız H, Hüsunet MT, DÖNbak L, Kayraldız A. Elucidation of the cytogenotoxic potential of vigabatrin and its in silico computer-assisted DNA interaction. Drug and Chemical Toxicology 2024; 47: 314-21.
  • 18. Shityakov S, Förster C. In silico predictive model to determine vector-mediated transport properties for the blood–brain barrier choline transporter. Advances and Applications in Bioinformatics and Chemistry 2014: 23-36.
  • 19. Fan J, Schiemer T, Vaska A, Jahed V, Klavins K. Cell via Cell Viability Assay Changes Cellular Metabolic Characteristics by Intervening with Glycolysis and Pentose Phosphate Pathway. Chemical Research in Toxicology 2024; 37: 208-11.
  • 20. Çiltaş AÇ, Gündoğdu S, Yulak F. Levetiracetam Protects Against Glutamate-Induced Excitotoxicity in SH-SY5Y Cell Line. International Journal of Nature and Life Sciences 2022; 6: 142-50.
  • 21. Sendrowski K, Sobaniec W, Stasiak-Barmuta A, Sobaniec P, Popko J. Study of the protective effects of nootropic agents against neuronal damage induced by amyloid-beta (fragment 25–35) in cultured hippocampal neurons. Pharmacological Reports 2015; 67: 326-31.
  • 22. Alavi MS, Al-Asady AM, Abbasinezhad-Moud F, Rajabian A, Rastegartizabi Z, Sadeghnia HR. Oligoprotective Activity of Levetiracetam against Glutamate Toxicity: An In vitro Study. Current Pharmaceutical Design 2025; 31: 57-64.
  • 23. Imai T, Sugiyama T, Iwata S, Nakamura S, Shimazawa M, Hara H. Levetiracetam, an antiepileptic drug has neuroprotective effects on intracranial hemorrhage injury. Neuroscience 2020; 431: 25-33.
  • 24. Sendrowski K, Sobaniec P, Poskrobko E, Rusak M, Sobaniec W. Unfavorable effect of levetiracetam on cultured hippocampal neurons after hyperthermic injury. Pharmacological Reports 2017; 69: 462-8.
  • 25. Calabrese EJ, Baldwin LA. Toxicology rethinks its central belief. Nature 2003; 421: 691-2.
  • 26. Stebbing A. A theory for growth hormesis. Belle Newsletter 1997; 6.
  • 27. Shahabadi N, Hadidi S. Spectroscopic studies on the interaction of calf thymus DNA with the drug levetiracetam. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 2012; 96: 278-83.
There are 27 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Cancer Biology, Biochemistry and Cell Biology (Other)
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Mehmet Tahir Hüsunet 0000-0003-1424-5132

Batuhan Bilgin 0000-0002-3470-1783

Publication Date September 22, 2025
Submission Date January 20, 2025
Acceptance Date March 20, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 26 Issue: 3

Cite

EndNote Hüsunet MT, Bilgin B (September 1, 2025) In Vitro Cytogenotoxic Profile and In Silico Molecular Docking Analysis of Levetiracetam in SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cell Line. Meandros Medical And Dental Journal 26 3 232–239.