The Blood–Brain Barrier Lesion and the Systemic Convulsant Model of Epilepsy

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Abstract
Systemic kainic acid (KA) at 1 mg/kg crosses the normal blood-brain barrier (BBB) of rats to produce scattered sharp waves for .apprx. 10 min on the EEG, but is without observable effect and produces no EEG or behavioral changes at 0.5 mg/kg. When the BBB is opened in most of 1 hemisphere by 6,000 rad, the rats are clinically normal and have a normal EEG. When the irradiated rats are challenged with 0.5 mg/kg KA, intense highly lateralized epileptiform bursts result; these bursts last 1-10 s and recur for 90 min. This phenomenon is repeatable for the 1 wk that the BBB is open. Results are identical when the BBB is opened with a pin lesion. Endogenous glutamate agonists are common. A possible pathophysiologic mechanism for human epilepsy is suggested.