Increase of unesterified fatty acids, prostaglandin F2α but not thromboxane B2 in rat brain during drug induced convulsions

The amount of free arachidonic acid and prostaglandin F_2α in rat cerebral hemispheres was increased following convulsions induced by carbachol and metrazol. The level of thromboxane B₂ was not affected and prostaglandin endoperoxides could only be “trapped” after a very short convulsive period. Unesterified fatty acid levels at 2 minutes post-mortem were decreased by 50% in the cerebral hemispheres of phenytoin treated rats. Under the same conditions, phenobarbital and diazepam had little effect on the levels of free fatty acids in rat brain.