Single or repeated treatment with electroconvulsive shock increases number of serotonin uptake binding sites in the frontal cortex

Neuropsychobiology. 1995;31(1):1-5. doi: 10.1159/000119164.

Abstract

The effects of a single or repeated treatment with electroconvulsive shock (ECS) or imipramine on the central serotonin (5-HT) uptake binding sites were studied in the rat frontal cortex and hippocampus. The selective 5-HT uptake inhibitor citalopram and clomipramine potently inhibited the binding for [3H]paroxetine (5-HT uptake binding sites) in the frontal cortex. The antidepressant drugs imipramine and desipramine inhibited the binding moderately, but the 5-HT-related agents, 5-HT, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), mianserin and ketanserin inhibited it weakly. A single ECS increased the density of [3H]paroxetine binding sites, but did not alter the affinity, after 1 or 24 h, in the frontal cortex. Repeated treatment with ECS, but not with imipramine, increased the density of [3H]paroxetine binding sites in the same region. The hippocampal [3H]paroxetine binding did not change after any of these treatments. These results suggest that a single treatment with ECS causes a rapid increase in the neuronal 5-HT transporter complex and the increase lasts for 14 days in the frontal cortex.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antidepressive Agents / pharmacology
  • Carrier Proteins / drug effects
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Electroconvulsive Therapy* / methods
  • Frontal Lobe / drug effects
  • Frontal Lobe / metabolism*
  • Hippocampus / drug effects
  • Hippocampus / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Imipramine / pharmacology
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, Drug / drug effects
  • Receptors, Drug / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Serotonin / drug effects
  • Receptors, Serotonin / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antidepressive Agents
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Receptors, Drug
  • Receptors, Serotonin
  • paroxetine receptor
  • Imipramine