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 microg/ml on 12-day old cultured astrocytes. In presence of 1 and 10 microg/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 microg/ml of antiepileptic drug. Finally, DNA fragmentation was more evident after treatment with 50 microg/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.