[Morphological studies of the brain in rats receiving meta-bromophenylsuccinimide]

Morphological evaluation of changes in the brain of rats receiving orally metabromophenylsuccinimid (4-m) - original Polish antiepileptic drug - 1/20 of DL50 per day during a period of one month, has been performed. The dose of the preparation per one kg of the body weight was approximately nine times higher than the therapeutic dose applied at present in human. Neuropathologic changes were found only occasionally; they were not specific, degenerative in character. Both parenchymal and mesenchymal components of the nervous tissue were involved. In neurones the lesions characteristic of chronic disease could be seen; they were more conspiecuous in the cortex of the cerebral hemispheres and in the cerebellum. The damage of the neurones was accompanied by a marked glial cells reaction, progressive in character. Morphological changes of the vessels with consecutive oedema of the white matter were limited to endothelium. Sporadic and not extensive character of the changes as well as their mild intensity seem to provide an evidence that the neurotoxic effect of the tested preparation m-4 is relatively small.