Pentylenetetrazol kindling produces a long-lasting elevation of IR-Met-enkephalin but not IR-Leu-enkephalin in rat brain.
Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) kindling was induced in male Wistar rats by daily i.p. injections of 40 mg/kg of the convulsant agent. IR-Met-enkephalin and IR-Leu-enkephalin were quantified in several brain regions 16 days after the last stimulus. In addition other rats received another PTZ dose on the sixteenth day and the samples were analyzed 1 and 24 h later. The results showed a long-lasting elevation in amygdala, septum, hypothalamus and hippocampus of IR-Met-enkephalin only. These brain structures also showed a decrease of IR-Met-enkephalin 1 h after the PTZ-induced seizure, but reached newly elevated levels 24 h later. IR-Leu-enkephalin levels only showed a decrease in striatum 1 h after PTZ-induced convulsions. The data suggest that Met-enkephalin is related to permanent changes in brain function induced by PTZ kindling, while Leu-enkephalin may depend on the occurrence of epileptic seizures.
D000679:Amygdala / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000032:analysis; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine / Q000032:analysis; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000032:analysis*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000032:analysis; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000032:analysis; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic; D008297:Male; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012688:Septum Pellucidum / Q000032:analysis
D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole