Chronic treatment with electroconvulsive shock prevents the salbutamol-induced hypoactivity in rats.

Several lines of evidence (binding studies, reduced responsiveness of brain adenylate cyclase to noradrenergic stimulation) indicate that chronic treatment with electroconvulsive shock (ECS) induces down-regulation of central beta-adrenoceptors. The effect of acute and chronic (10 days) treatment with ECS on salbutamol-induced suppression of exploratory activity in rats has been examined. This effect was prevented by chronic but not by acute treatment with ECS. Chronic treatment with ECS did not affect exploratory activity. The salbutamol-induced hypoactivity is mediated through central beta-adrenoceptors (antagonistic effect of (-)-propranolol but not (+)-propranolol or practolol), so the results may be regarded as functional evidence at the behavioral level for the down-regulation of beta-adrenoceptors produced by chronic treatment with ECS.