Augmentation of thalamo - motor cortico - cerebellar epileptogenesis by taurine and its antagonism by diphenylhydantoin.

An acute penicillin focus was established in the motor cortex of cats. Surface recordings were obtained from the penicillin focus; focal potentials were recorded from the ipsilateral thalamic VL nucleus and the contralateral cerebellar Purkinje layer. The interictal spike relationships were 1:1:1 at these recording sites. The effects of systemically administered taurine were compared with those of DPH which was administered either systemically or topically onto the penicillin focus. Two epileptic attributes have been explored: thalamo-corticocerebellar ictal episodes (their incidence, durations and “tonic-clonic” manifestations), and interictal excitatory potentials in the Purkinje layer. The data show that taurine and DPH exhibited disparate effects on these parameters of epilepsy: 1. the incidence and durations of icti, and the proportions of “tonic-clonic” bursts were increased by taurine and decreased by DPH; and 2. the interictal excitatory potentials in the Purkinje layer were enhanced by taurine and reduced by DPH. Inasmuch as DPH effects are potent antiepileptic, taurine appears to be, at least a short-term, potent epileptogenic in this experimental model of epilepsy.