Selective focal inhibition of brain protein synthesis during generalized bicuculline seizures in newborn marmoset monkeys.

Generalized epileptic seizures, induced in 5-7 day-old marmoset monkeys with bicuculline (5 mg/kg) produce striking focal disruption of protein synthesis. Inhibition of protein synthesis was most severe in the neocortex and hippocampus but was completely absent in the lateral geniculate nuclei and in the optic tract. In the cortex, regions in which protein synthesis was most severely reduced alternated with areas in which it was relatively preserved creating a columnar pattern. With few exceptions, subcortical gray matter structures in the forebrain and brainstem were less severely affected than the cortex. In the cerebellum, seizures appeared to have little effect on the proliferating external granular layer while the closely adjacent internal granular layer showed clear-cut inhibition. The focal nature of protein synthesis inhibition in brain during seizures suggests that the systemic effects of convulsions (e.g. hypoxemia, acidosis or changes in arterial blood pressure) are not a major factor. More likely, protein synthesis inhibition is related to the extent to which various cerebral structures participate in seizure activity.