Effect of aldosterone and cortisol on leptazol-induced seizures in rats.

Leptazol B.P. (0.2 ml./kg) produced convulsions in 65% of normal adult rats with no fatalities. The same dose of leptazol in animals which had previously been given 0.125 mg/kg aldosterone resulted in fits in 70.2% with 7.7% deaths. Cortisol pretreatment (25 mg/kg) resulted in fits in 82.9%, and 12.2% of the animals died in convulsions. The incidence of convulsions in the animals treated with aldosterone and leptazol was not significantly increased above the animals treated with leptazol. The cortisol-leptazol group did exhibit a significantly raised incidence of fits.