Influence of cerebro-spinal fluid of picrotoxin kindled rats on seizure susceptibility and locomotor activity of recipients.

ABSTRACT

Repeated picrotoxin administration (ip) in subthreshold doses in rats resulted in kindling of generalized seizures. Decrease of locomotor activity in kindled rats occurred in interictal periods. Intra-cerebroventricular microinjection to intact recipients of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of kindled but not intact rats or those after acute picrotoxin-induced convulsions, induced a decrease of locomotor activity and severity of acute picrotoxin induced seizures. These effects of CSF were blocked by naloxone pretreatment and were absent after injection of CSF to which protease inhibitors were not added. It is concluded that the release of endogenous opioid peptide substance(s) takes place in CSF of kindled animals which cause the interictal decrease of locomotor activity and may play the role of endogenous anticonvulsive factors controlling epileptic activity induction.