Levetiracetam, a second-generation antiepileptic drug, is effective in therapy of various types of seizures. Its pharmacological properties are increasingly used in diversified clinical conditions such as anxiety and neuropathic pain. Levetiracetam has unique mechanism of action - it selectively binds to the synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A), which stabilizes synaptic function and reduces neurotransmitter release, distinguishing it from traditional antiepileptics. The aim of the present paper was to investigate whether levetiracetam (31.25; 62.5 mg/kg, ip) may also be effective drug in reducing of symptoms in morphine dependence in mice. It was studied in three paradigms: 1) morphine tolerance to antinociceptive effect measured in the hot plate test; 2) naloxone-induced (2 mg/kg, ip) morphine withdrawal signs (manifested as jumpings); 3) morphine-induced behavioral sensitization to the locomotor activity of mice. Levetiracetam, at least in one of the doses used, was effective drug in reduction of all measured parameters. The study highlights the need for further research on levetiracetam properties, because it seems to be an innovative target in morphine dependence.

Pregabalin, as the active ingredient of various medications, is used in humans to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and neuropathic pain. In animals, pregabalin is used as an anesthetic. The aim of the present study was to test the effect of pregabalin on the developmental parameters of Sarcophaga argyrostoma (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), a fly used in forensic entomology. A culture of S. argyrostoma larvae was conducted on mouse carcasses. Two doses of the active substance were used in the experiment: 100 mg/kg (dose 1) and 300 mg/kg (dose 2). A control sample (without the drug) was used for comparison. The duration of the life cycle, the body weight of individual developmental stages (larvae, pupae, and adults), and their mortality were studied. The study showed that (1) pregabalin prolonged the life cycle of S. argyrostoma—dose 1 by two days and dose 2 by three days; (2) pregabalin caused an increase in body weight at each stage of development (larvae, pupae, and adults); (3) pregabalin caused high mortality among pupae. The highest mortality was observed in the treatment with 300 mg/kg. The preliminary results indicate that estimation of the time of death based on analysis of the developmental stages of S. argyrostoma on a carcass with a high content of pregabalin may be distorted relative to a case without the impact of this exogenous substance. Research on the effect of pregabalin on flies used in forensic entomology should be expanded to investigate how this compound affects the life cycles of these insects.

Levetiracetam (LEV) is an antiepileptic drug and is used in the management of various types of seizures and other clinical conditions, including anxiety and neuropathic pain. Its unique mechanism primarily involves selective interaction with synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A), which stabilizes synaptic function and the release of neurotransmitters. The objective of the present study was to evaluate LEV activity in morphine (MPH) dependence. In mice, LEV was used at doses ranging from 31.25 to 125 mg/kg, depending on the experimental paradigm. It was studied in three schedules: (1) MPH tolerance to antinociceptive effects (the hot plate test—HPT); (2) MPH withdrawal signs, manifested as jumps, induced by naloxone (NAL)—2 mg/kg, i.p.; (3) MPH sensitization to locomotor activity. In this study, LEV reduced MPH tolerance to analgesic effects. Moreover, LEV diminished the intensity of NAL-precipitated MPH withdrawal signs. This drug was also effective in attenuating MPH-induced sensitization. These findings suggest that LEV may modulate behavioral adaptations associated with repeated MPH exposure. However, further mechanistic studies are required to identify the molecular and neurochemical pathways involved in these effects.