Brain cytochrome oxidase activity after kindled seizures: a quantitative histochemical mapping study.

Quantitative histochemistry was used to analyze changes in cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity in 93 brain regions after entorhinal cortex kindling. Rats were kindled to at least six stage-5 seizures and sacrificed either 24 h or 28 days after the last convulsion. Regional brain CO activity was quantitated in histological sections using calibrated densitometric standards. No statistically significant differences in regional CO activity between kindled and control brains were seen either 24 h or 28 days after the last convulsion. These results suggest that the brain changes underlying the kindling state are not reflected in localized alterations in mitochondrial respiratory capacity. They also indicate that long-lasting changes in regional brain CO activity recently found after electroconvulsive shock are not common to all types of seizures.