Hong J S, Gillin J C, Yang H Y, Costa E
Brain Res. 1979 Nov 16;177(2):273-8. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(79)90778-9.
Repeated electroconvulsive shocks (ECS) cause an increase of [met5]-enkephalin (ME) content in hypothalamus and some limbic areas such as n. accumbens, septum and amygdala. The temporal characteristics of this increase resemble the time course of the clinical effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Single shock failed to change the ME content in any part of the brain. After 6 daily shocks ME content increases by 60% in hypothalamus and maximal effect (100% increase) was obtained after 10 daily shocks. The increase of ME content persists 6 days after the termination of ECS. Subconvulsive shocks failed to alter the content of ME in all the brain gions determined. When the seizure induced by ECS was prevented by pretreatment with an anesthetic dose of phenobarbital, the ECS-induced increase in hypothalamic and septal ME content was also blocked. beta-Endorphin content of hypothalamus remained unchanged after repeated ECS despite a two-fold increase in the ME content in the same region. These observations indicate that the time constant for the increase in ME content induced by ECS resembles the time constant for the appearance of the clinical benefits by ECT and may give credence to the possibility that the ME increase may participate in the antidepressive action of ECS.
反复电惊厥休克（ECS）会导致下丘脑以及一些边缘区域（如伏隔核、隔区和杏仁核）中[甲硫氨酸5]-脑啡肽（ME）含量增加。这种增加的时间特征类似于电惊厥治疗（ECT）临床效果的时间进程。单次休克未能改变大脑任何部位的ME含量。每日电击6次后，下丘脑的ME含量增加60%，每日电击10次后获得最大效果（增加100%）。ME含量的增加在ECS终止后持续6天。亚惊厥性电击未能改变所测定的所有脑区中ME的含量。当用麻醉剂量的苯巴比妥预处理来预防ECS诱发的癫痫发作时，ECS诱导的下丘脑和隔区ME含量增加也被阻断。尽管同一区域的ME含量增加了两倍，但反复ECS后下丘脑的β-内啡肽含量保持不变。这些观察结果表明，ECS诱导的ME含量增加的时间常数类似于ECT出现临床益处的时间常数，这可能支持ME增加可能参与ECS抗抑郁作用的可能性。
