Research Projects

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease affecting 69 million people worldwide, with a prevalence rate of 2.2-10.4/1000/year in India. It is incurable, but seizures are controlled with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), but 20-30% of patients fail to respond. Non-responsiveness to AEDs is a major clinical problem, and overexpression of ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters is a contributing factor. AEDs are oral drugs, and ABC transporters at major tissue barriers can influence the oral bioavailability and clinical efficacy of many drugs. ABCC2, an efflux transporter associated with cellular oxidative stress, is involved in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. This study aims to investigate the effect of first-line AEDs, carbamazepine and valproate, on HepG2 and human brain endothelial cells, assessing oxidative stress markers and their influence on ABCC2 activity. The role of nuclear receptors PXR and NRF2 in altered expression of ABCC2 will also be evaluated. Additionally, the potential of Alpha lipoic acid as an antioxidant and its effect on ABCC2 transporter functional activity will be assessed. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for effective epilepsy management, advancing therapeutic strategies.

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