Mecanismo fisioquímico de la epilepsia experimental

Abstract

During experimental epilepsy fits of the dog, obtained by electric brain excitation or by injections of convulsonary drugs, such as Cardiazol or Azoman, potassium comes out of the brain, such as blood plasma of the venous superior longitudinal sinus determinations reveal it, before or mediately after convulsions have begun. This emission of the potassium has a cerebral origin, not muscular, since it is observed in animals in which convulsions have been suppressed by sectioning the medulla or by means of ‘ curarisantes” drugs. Besides, potassium increse can be seen at the level of the blood that comes from the brain and not in the general circulation. Potassium liberation by the brain, would be an index of the nervous cellules activity and its movilization would be the cause of the action potentials that are registered at the cerebral bark level. Cerebral activity increase accompanied by potassium greater emission, would bring a paralei increase of the intensity and frequence of the cerebral waves that when they woul discharge through motor neuronas would produce the unchain of the convulsonary fits. On the contrary, the states of natural or artificial sleep provoked by hynoptics or anaesthetics, would be accompanied by a short emission of the cerebral potassium and of their waves frequency. Convulsonary drugs, would act modifying nervous cellules permeability and determining intracellular potassium start.