THE EFFECT OF DESOXYCORTICOSTERONE IN EPILEPSY

Abstract

White mice were injected subcut. with convulsive doses of cocaine hydrochloride. In a control group of 291 mice, 72% showed convulsive involvement. A group of 60 mice were given 5-6 mg/kg of body wt. of desoxycorticosterone acetate intraperit., 30 mins. before cocaine inj. Of these, only 13% showed convulsive involvement. Mice given similar doses of desoxycorticosterone for 3 days and injected with cocaine 24 hrs. after the last dose showed convulsive involvement similar to the controls. Thus only early protection against cocaine convulsions were afforded. In cats, epilepsy was induced by direct electrical stimulation. These convulsions were not affected by inj. intraperit. of 1 mg of desoxycorticosterone acetate, given over a 4 day period. It is suggested that the early protective effect of DOCA in animals may be due to alteration of the permeability of the blood-brain barrier.