A detailed case history of lead poisoning in a young infant is presented. Attention is directed towards the nature of the induced convulsions observed in such cases and the possible role of the GABAergic neuroinhibitory system. In vitro data demonstrating direct lead-GABA interaction is presented and sodium valproate, an effective anticonvulsant which affects GABA function, is shown to be an appropriate agent for medication in lead-induced convulsions. The hypothesis is presented that lead interacts with GABA which thereby reduces the neuroinhibition and that this may be counteracted by the action of sodium valproate.
Chemical Phenomena Chemistry