Effect of diphenylhydantoin on gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and succinate activity in rat Purkinje cells.

A study has been made of the effect of diphenylhydantoin (DPH) upon the levels of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and succinic dehydrogenase in rat Purkinje cells. DPH was administered over 26 days in chronic experiments using controls receiving the same injection vehicle without DPH. Animals in this group received daily 1.25 mg/kg body weight, 12.5 mg/kg body weight, and 50 mg/kg body weight DPH. Acute experiments were carried out over the course of not more than four days, three groups of animals receiving 75 mg/kg body weight, 87.5 mg/kg body weight, and 100 mg/kg body weight DPH. No effect upon succinic dehydrogenase could be demonstrated at any dose level. There was a significant progressive loss of GABA with increasing dosage of DPH.