Type 1 diabetes exacerbates blood-brain barrier alterations during experimental epileptic seizures in an animal model

The aim of this study was to perform the effects of diabetes on the permeability of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) during pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)‐induced epileptic attacks. For this propose, the animals were divided into four groups. These groups contained were intact, PTZ‐treated, diabetic and PTZ‐treated diabetic individuals, respectively. To evaluate the functioning of the BBB, Evans blue was used as a BBB permeability indicator, and the expressions of zonula occludens‐1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein involving the functioning of the BBB were determined immunohistochemically. Also, the changes in the release of serum tumour necrosis factor‐alpha and interleukin‐10 and interleukin‐12 were studied by using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay method. BBB permeability in the seizures under diabetic conditions showed a considerable increase (p