Effect of electroconvulsive shock on the content of thyrotropin-releasing hormone in rat brain

Five grand-mal seizures were electrically induced in rats on alternate days. Forty-eight hours following the last seizure, TRH was quantitated in extracts of anterior cortex, hippocampus, striatum, thalamus plus midbrain, and hypothalamus. When compared to sham treated controls, TRH was found to be elevated 5-fold in the hippocampus and 2-fold in the striatum with no changes observed in the remaining regions. Since the time chosen for analysis excludes acute post-ictal effects, these results draw attention to a prolonged alteration of TRH levels in specific brain regions in an animal model of electroconvulsive treatment.