Starvation and dehydration attenuate CNS oxygen toxicity in rats

We tested the effect of moderate food or water deprivation and a combination of the two on sensitivity to hyperoxia-induced seizures in rats. Seventy rats with chronic cortical electrodes were exposed to seven experimental protocols: starvation, dehydration or a combination of both for 24 or 36 h, prior to exposure to 0.5 Mp(a)O2. Blood glucose and hematocrit were measured before and after exposure to hyperbaric oxygen (HBO). Starvation and dehydration significantly prolonged the latent period to the onset of hyperoxia-induced seizures (P < 0.05 in the Tukey test), in a dose-related manner. Our results suggest that deprivation of food or water, prior to exposure to HBO, may postpone the development of hyperoxia-induced seizures.