Lacosamide exhibits neuroprotective effects in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects the motor system. Although there are several treatments available to alleviate PD symptoms, there is currently no cure for the disease. Lacosamide, an anti-epileptic drug, has shown promising results in preclinical studies as a potential neuroprotective agent for PD. In this study, we aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of lacosamide in a murine model of PD.

Twenty-one adult male rats were randomly divided into the following three groups (n = 7): 1 group received stereotaxical infusion of dimethyl sulfoxide (vehicle, group 1), and the others received stereotaxical infusion of rotenone (groups 2 and 3). The apomorphine-induced rotation test was applied to the rats after 10 days. Thereafter, group 2 was administered isotonic saline, whereas group 3 was administered lacosamide (20 mg/kg,i.p.) for 28 days. Apomorphine-induced rotation tests were performed to assess the effect of lacosamide on motor function. In addition, immunohistochemistry and biochemistry were used to assess the dopaminergic neuron loss in the substantia nigra and MDA, TNF-α and HVA levels, respectively.

In rats with Parkinson's disease induced by rotenone, levels of malondialdehyde and TNF-α significantly increased and HVA levels decreased, whereas in mice treated with lacosamide, levels of malondialdehyde and TNF-α significantly decreased and HVA levels increased. The apomorphine-induced rotation test scores of lacosamide-treated mice were lower compared with the untreated group. Furthermore, treatment with lacosamide significantly mitigated the degeneration of dopaminergic projections within the striatum originating from the substantia nigra and increased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunofluorescence, indicative of preserved dopaminergic neuronal function.

In conclusion, our study provides evidence that lacosamide has a neuroprotective effect on the rat model of PD. Further studies are required to investigate the underlying mechanisms and evaluate the potential clinical use of lacosamide as a neuroprotective agent for PD.