The effect of acute and chronic electroconvulsive shock on [3H]phorbol-dibutyrate binding to rat brain membranes

The present study investigated the effect of single and repeated electroconvulsive shock (ECS) on proteinkinase C in rat cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus and striatum using [3H]Phorbol-12,13-butyrate binding. In the postictal period and 24 hr after a single ECS there was no alteration in any brain region. Twenty four hr after 10 once-daily ECS there was a significant decrease the number of binding sites in cerebral cortex (30%) and in cerebellum (20%) without a change in the affinity constant. These findings are discussed with regard to earlier reports on phosphoinositide turnover following chemically and electrically induced seizures.