Changes in high affinity sodium independent gamma-aminobutyric acid binding in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the rat following electroshock.

Electroshock induced seizures in the rat enhanced high affinity specific Na+ independent binding of 3H-gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) to frozen, Triton X-100 treated cerebral synaptic membranes 30 minutes after exposures to electroshock, although no change in 3H GABA binding was observed in similarly treated preparations from hippocampus. Scatchard analysis of the binding isotherms from cortical membranes indicated that the increase in 3H GABA binding at 30 minutes was due to a rapid increase (39%) in the number of available GABA receptor binding sites (Bmax) rather than an alteration in receptor affinity (KD). The number of binding sites returned to control values within 1 hour and remained so throughout the duration of this study.