Electroconvulsive shock blocks the opioid-mediated inhibition of dopamine release in rat striatal slices

The fractional release technique was applied to investigate the effects of single electroshock (ECS) on the opioid-mediated inhibition of dopamine release in rat striatal slices. Animals were submitted to ECS 24h before the experiments. The results demonstrate that pre-treatment with ECS suppresses the inhibition of dopamine release mediated by kappa opioid receptors. These data suggest that single ECS treatment modifies the sensitivity of the kappa opioid receptors located on the presynatic dopamine terminals in the rat striatum.