Oxidative metabolic responses during recurrent seizures are independent of convulsant, anesthetic, or species.

A transition from sufficient to insufficient cerebral oxygenation has been reported during recurrent seizures, but it was unknown whether this phenomenon was limited to particular species, anesthetics, or convulsant agents. Focal measurements were made of cortical PO2 and redox changes of cytochrome a, a3 in rats and cats anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital, nitrous oxide, or ketamine, or decerebrated. Seizures were induced with pentylenetetrazol, bicuculline, or electroconvulsive shock. Transition from oxygen sufficiency to insufficiency always occurred in association with inadequate vascular responses, regardless of experimental conditions. These results indicate that transition is a general characteristic of experimental status epilepticus.