Epilepsy drug could fight lupus

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Sherry - 17 Nov 2005 23:51 GMT

THURSDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The common anti-seizure drug valproic
acid may also prove effective for treating lupus patients, researchers
report

In tests on mice with lupus, valproic acid prevented skin disease and
reduced the severity of kidney disease, the study found. The results were
presented Wednesday at a meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.

"Valproic acid may be a potential cost-effective disease-modifying agent in
lupus," Wake Forest University rheumatologist Dr. Nilamadhab Mishra said in
a prepared statement

He said valproic acid has been on the market since 1983 and clinical trials
using the drug to treat lupus patients could begin as early as next year.
Since the side effects of valproic acid are already known, researchers can
skip the safety studies and move on to clinical trials to assess the drug's
efficacy in treating lupus, he added.

Mishra noted that doctors could now prescribe valproic acid "off-label" to
lupus patients, but said, "it is better to have a clinical trial to prove
that it does help in lupus."

Another study presented by Mishra at the same meeting found that
mithramycin -- an antibiotic usually used against tumors -- reduced kidney
disease in mice with lupus.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20051117/hl_hsn/epilepsydrugcouldfightlupus

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tom h - 21 Nov 2005 21:02 GMT

>THURSDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The common anti-seizure drug valproic
>acid may also prove effective for treating lupus patients, researchers
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>
>http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20051117/hl_hsn/epilepsydrugcouldfightlupus

Since so much iron has been shown in those with lupus .. IE: iron binding
sunscreen .. then the FACT valproic acid / valproate .. PROTECTS .. from iron
induced damage / FeCl .. makes .. common .. sense ..

1: Neuroscience. 2003;116(2):485-9. Related Articles, Links

Valproate inhibits oxidative damage to lipid and protein in primary cultured
rat cerebrocortical cells.

Wang JF, Azzam JE, Young LT.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University,
Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3Z5. wangjf@mcmaster.ca

Valproate is often prescribed as a long-term therapeutic mood stabilizing
agent for individuals with bipolar disorder. Although research suggests that
this drug may produce a neuroprotective effect, its neuroprotective mechanism
is not yet clear. The purpose of this study was to determine if valproate
provides a neuroprotective effect against damage caused by oxidative stress
in primary cultured rat cerebral cortical cells. We found that chronic
treatment with valproate at therapeutically relevant concentrations for 7
days inhibited lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation induced by treatment
with 0.25 mM oxidant FeCl(3) for 90 min, indicating that valproate inhibits
oxidative damage to lipid and protein. Our results suggest that chronic
treatment with valproate may protect neuronal cells from damage caused by
oxidative stress and that neuroprotection from oxidative damages may be
involved in the mechanism of action of valproate. Supporting this possibility
are recent findings that chronic treatment with valproate increased the
expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress protein GRP78 and antiapoptotic
factor bcl-2 in rat cerebral cortex. Since GRP78 binds Ca(2+) and folds
damaged protein, bcl-2 stabilizes mitochondrial transmembrane potential and
inhibits cytochrome C release, and both GRP78 and bcl-2 have been shown to
inhibit oxyradical accumulation, together these findings indicate that
valproate may target one or more of these processes in order to produce
neuroprotective effects. Copyright 2003 IBRO

PMID: 12559103 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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