Central action of a catechol-amide seizure-inducing agent: opposing effect on tyrosine and tryptophan hydroxylase activity in vivo.

The audiogenic seizure-inducing drug H13/04 was found to elicit opposing effects on the in vivo accumulation of 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) and DOPA (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) in the brain following inhibition of L-amino acid decarboxylase. In strains of mice that normally do not exhibit audiogenic seizures, H13/04 retarded the accumulation of 5-HTP in the telencephalon, diencephalon and brainstem and enhanced the accumulation DOPA in the diencephalon and brainstem. The duration of the biochemical action of H13/04-correlated with the duration of the behavioral effect. When H13/04 is administered to strains of mice with a genetically-determined susceptibility to audiogenic seizures, but at an age when they are developing resistance to seizures, H13/04 does not alter the incidence of sound-induced seizures. The effect on the accumulation of 5-HTP and DOPA was similar to that noted in the genetically-resistant strain; a retardation of the accumulation of 5-HTP in the telencephalon and brainstem and an enhancement of DOPA accumulation in the brainstem. Since the rate of accumulation of 5-HTP and DOPA is a measure of the in vivo rates of tryptophan and tyrosine hydroxylase, respectively, the results may reflect changes in neural activity with consequent effects on the synthesizing enzymes. These results emphasize the usefulness of the drug in analyzing central mechanisms underlying audiogenic seizure activity and in studying functional properties and interactions of the central catechol-and indoleamine systems.