The effect of aprotinin on the harmine-induced tremor in lymphostatic encephalopathic and normal rats.

In normal and lymphostatic encephalopathic rats, aprotinin pretreatment alters the duration of the harmine tremor and the cerebral concentration of the alkaloid; low doses shorten the tremor and decrease the concentration, a high dose causes the opposite. Aprotinin may decrease or increase the blood-brain barrier permeability of harmine. Because the findings are similar in both groups of rats the blood-brain barrier for harmine is assumed to be intact in lymphostatic encephalopathy. However, sick rats possibly suffer from an impaired cerebral elimination of harmine.