Skip to main content
Log in

In vivo neurochemical effects of electroconvulsive shock studied by microdialysis in the rat striatum

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of electroconvulsive shock (ECS) on interstitial concentrations of dopamine (DA), its metabolites DOPAC and HVA and the serotonin metabolite 5-HIAA in the striatum of freely moving rats using on-line microdialysis. DA increased sharply following a single ECS. Interstitial concentrations of DOPAC, HVA and 5-HIAA also increased significantly. The ECS-induced increase in DA varied as a function of days following implantation of the microdialysis probe, being 1300%, 305% and 300% of baseline 24, 48 and 72 h after surgery, respectively. In contrast, the response of the metabolites to ECS did not differ across days following surgery, being approximately 130%, 140% and 110% of baseline for DOPAC, HVA and 5-HIAA, respectively. Seizure activity induced by the convulsant agent flurothyl did not influence dialysate DA concentrations, suggesting that the ECS-induced DA release was related to the passage of current and not to the seizure activity. Interstitial concentrations of acetylcholine and choline in the striatum increased by approximately 20% and 140%, respectively, in response to a single ECS. The DA (but not the DOPAC or HVA) response to ECS was refractory to a second ECS delivered 2 h after the first. A second ECS delivered 24 h after the first produced the normal increase in DA. The ECS-induced increase in DA was attenuated following repeated ECS (eight treatments, one every second day). Baseline DOPAC and HVA concentrations were significantly elevated by repeated ECS. These results demonstrate that acute ECS produces a transient and somewhat selective increase in extracellular concentrations of DA, that this effect is reduced after repeated ECS, and that the increase is not due to the seizure activity itself. They also indicate that repeated ECS produces presynaptic change compatible with increase DA synthesis and/or turnover. These findings may be relevant to recent reports of ECS efficacy in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

DA :

dopamine

DOPAC :

3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid

HVA :

homovanillic acid

5-HIAA :

5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid

ACh :

acetylcholine

ECS :

electroconvulsive shock

ECT :

electroconvulsive therapy

References

  • Abrams R (1988) Electroconvulsive therapy. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Abrams R (1989) ECT for Parkinson's disease. Am J Psychiatry 46:1391–1393

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson K, Balldin J, Gottfried CG (1987) A double-blind evaluation of electroconvulsive therapy in Parkinson's disease with “on-off” phenomena. Acta Neurol Scand 76:191–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Atterwill CK (1984) The effect of ECS on central cholinergic and interrelated neurotransmitter systems. In: Lerer B, Weiner RD, Belmaker RD (eds) ECT: basic mechanisms. Libbey, London pp 79–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Benveniste H (1989) Brain microdialysis. J Neurochem 52:1667–1679

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiodo LA, Antelman SM (1980) Electroconvulsive shock: progressive dopamine autoreceptor subsensitivity independent of repeated treatment. Science 210:799–801

    Google Scholar 

  • Damsma G, Day J, Fibiger HC (1989) Lack of tolerance to nicotine-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. Eur J Pharmacol 168:363–368

    Google Scholar 

  • Damsma G, Westerink BHC, de Vries JB, van den Berg CJ, Horn AS (1987) Measurement of acetylcholine release in freely moving rats by means of automated intracerebral dialysis. J Neurochem 48:1523–1528

    Google Scholar 

  • Douyon R, Serby M, Klutchko B, Rotrosen J (1989) ECT and Parkinson's disease revisited: a “naturalistic” study. Am J Psychiatry 146:1451–1455

    Google Scholar 

  • Fibiger HC (1990) The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia and mood disorders: contradictions and speculations. In: Willner P, Scheel-Kruger J (eds) The mesolimbic dopamine system: from motivation to action. Wiley, Chichester, England in press

    Google Scholar 

  • Fink M (1979) Convulsive therapy: theory and practice. Raven Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Fochtmann LJ, Cruciani R, Aiso M, Potter WZ (1989) Chronic electroconvulsive shock increases D-1 receptor binding in rat substantia nigra. Eur J Pharmacol 167:305–306

    Google Scholar 

  • Glue P, Costello MJ, Pert A, Mele A, Nutt DJ (1990) Regional neurotransmission responses after acute and chronic electronconvulsive shock. Psychopharmacology 100:60–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Grahame-Smith DG (1984) The neuropharmacological effects of electroconvulsive shock and their relationship to the therapeutic effect of electroconvulsive therapy in depression. Adv Biochem Psychopharmacol 39:327–343

    Google Scholar 

  • Green AR, Nutt DJ (1987) Psychopharmacology of repeated seizures: Possible relevance to the mechanism of action of electroconvulsive therapy. In: Iversen LL, Iversen SD, Snyder SH (eds) Handbook of Psychopharmacology. Vol. 19, Plenum Press, New York, pp 375–419

    Google Scholar 

  • Imperato A, Di Chiara G (1984) Trans-striatal dialysis coupled to reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection: a new method for the study of the in vivo release of endogenous dopamine and metabolites. J Neurosci 4:966–977

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerer B (1987) Neurochemical and other neurobiological consequences of ECT: implications for the pathogenesis and treatment of affective disorders. In: Meltzer HY (ed) Psychopharmacology: the third generation of progress. Raven Press, New York, pp 577–587

    Google Scholar 

  • Modigh K, Balldin J, Eriksson E, Granerus AK, Walinder J (1984) Increased responsiveness of dopamine receptor after ECT: A review of experimental and clinical evidence. In: Lerer B, Weiner RD, Belmaker RH (eds) ECT: basic mechanisms. Libbey, London, pp 18–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Nomikos GG, Zis AP, Damsma G, Fibiger HC (1990) Electroconvulsive shock produces large increases in interstitial concentrations of dopamine in the rat striatum an in vivo microdialysis study. Neuropsychopharmacology (in press)

  • Paxinos G, Watson C (1986) The rat brain in stereotaxic coordinates. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Reiziz J, Mena MA, Bazam E, Muradas V, Lerma J, Delgado JMR, De Yebenes JG (1989) Temporal profile of levels of monoamines and their metabolites in striata of rats implanted with dialysis tubes. J Neurochem 53:789–792

    Google Scholar 

  • Serra G, Argiolas A, Fadda F, Melis MR, Gessa GL (1981) Repeated electroconvulsive shock prevents the sedative effect of small doses of apomorphine. Psychopharmacology 73:194–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Westerink BHC, Tuinte MHJ (1986) Chronic use of intracerebral dialysis for the in vivo measurement of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine and its metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. J Neurochem 46:181–185

    Google Scholar 

  • Westerink BHC, de Vries JB (1988) Characterization of in vivo dopamine release as determined by brain microdialysis after acute and subchronic implantations: methodological aspects. J Neurochem 51:683–687

    Google Scholar 

  • Westerink BHC, Damsma G, Rollema H, de Vries JB, Horn AD (1987) Scope and limitations of in vivo brain dialysis: a comparison to its applications to various neurotransmitter systems. Life Sci 41:1763–1776

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zis, A.P., Nomikos, G.G., Damsma, G. et al. In vivo neurochemical effects of electroconvulsive shock studied by microdialysis in the rat striatum. Psychopharmacology 103, 343–350 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02244288

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02244288

Key words

Navigation