Effects of anticonvulsants on cell growth and enzymatic and receptor binding activity in a neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cell culture.

The effects of anticonvulsants on markers of growth, intracellular enzymes, and synaptic functions were evaluated using a rapidly dividing cholinergic neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cell-line (NG108-15). Cell cultures were exposed for 4 days to phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, or valproic acid. Anticonvulsant concentrations added to the media were selected to produce free levels in the cell media that were equivalent to free levels in humans ranging from therapeutic to very toxic. Free levels of anticonvulsants in the toxic range affected cell number, protein content, and neurochemical markers. However, only valproic acid and phenytoin reduced cell growth at therapeutic free drug concentrations. Valproic acid was the only medication to act as a differentiating agent, significantly increasing the activity of choline acetyltransferase, beta-galactosidase, and muscarinic cholinergic receptor binding. These results emphasize the importance of performing drug studies at appropriate free drug concentrations and suggest that valproic acid differs from other commonly prescribed anticonvulsants by having both a growth-suppressing and a differentiating effect.