The effect of pentylenetetrazol on the levels of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase in the cerebrospinal fluid of rabbits: a dose-dependent relationship.

The effect of various doses of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) on the levels of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (D beta H) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the CSF of rabbits was studied. The drug augments in a dose-dependent manner the D beta H activity but causes only a small and dose-independent increase in AChE. This suggests that PTZ-induced convulsions are associated with an increase in central noradrenergic activity but not by an increase in central cholinergic activity.