The side‐effects of convulsive epileptic seizures and Carbamazepine therapy on bone tissues of genetically‐induced epileptic rats: An FTIR imaging and biomechanical study

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder of the nervous system. Carbamazepine is one of the most widely used and effective antiepileptic drugs for epilepsy treatment. The results reported about its side‐effects on bone tissues are contradictory. In the present study, by using FTIR microspectroscopic imaging and Vickers Microhardness Analysis we investigated the effects of convulsive epileptic seizures and Carbamazepine on femur and spine of genetically‐induced epileptic rats. To the best of our knowledge, the current study provides the first report of differentiation of the effects of convulsive epileptic seizures from the effects of anti‐epileptic drug therapy on bone tissues. Rats were divided into 3 groups; Group 1 (negative control): absence epileptic rats; Group 2 (positive control): mixed form epileptic rats (absence epilepsy+convulsive seizures) and Group 3 (treated group): mixed form epileptic rats+Carbamazepine (50 mg/kg/day). Based on FTIR imaging studies, both convulsive seizures and Carbamazepine treatment decreased mineral content in the hydroxyapatite and altered collagen crosslinks of bone tissues. Both groups but more dominantly the treatment group had higher crystallinity than the control group, implying a less strength bone. Based on biomechanical analysis, seizure and Carbamazepine groups had lower microhardness values indicating a lower mechanical strength in bone tissues.