Lesions of amygdala, pyriform cortex and other brain structures due to dipiperidinoethane intoxication

Single doses of dipiperidinoethane (DPE) produced symmetrical necrosis in pyriform cortex, amygdala and other areas of gray matter in rats, mice and gerbils. The necrosis was detectable in 10 hours and fully developed in 24 hours. Its distribution and severity were not influenced by carotid artery ligation. DPE was not a cumulative poison. There was a high degree of chemical specificity: neurotoxic activity was present in DPE derivatives modified by methylation of the two piperidine rings, but neurotoxicity was absent in derivatives with different ring systems or different connecting chains.