Tiagabine treatment and DNA damage in rat astrocytes: an in vitro study by comet assay

We studied in vitro the effects of Tiagabine on genomic DNA of cortical rat astrocytes. To evaluate DNA damage, we used a relatively simple technique called Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis or Comet assay. Tiagabine was dissolved in culture medium and added at concentration of 1, 10, 20 and 50 mug/ml on 12-day old cultured astrocytes. In presence of 1 and 10 mug/ml of Tiagabine, no DNA damage was observed after 48 h of treatment. A moderate DNA damage was instead observed for cells exposed to 20 mug/ml of antiepileptic drug. Finally, DNA fragmentation was more evident after treatment with 50 mug/ml of Tiagabine. We conclude that Tiagabine, at the usual recommended doses, does not appear to influence negatively the cortical rat astrocytes, inducing DNA fragmentation only at very high concentrations. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.