Abstract
Background
Human hippocampal choline decreases in major depression episodes. This decrease was
recently measured by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and it has been found
that its level normalizes during antidepressive electroconvulsive therapy. We hypothesized
a hippocampal choline increase in the rat brain under electroconvulsive shock (ECS)
treatment.
Methods
Rat hippocampi (n = 28) were investigated via magnetic resonance spectroscopy and signal intensities
of choline (Cho), total creatine (tCr), and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) were measured
and expressed as ratios before and after six ECS treatments.
Results
After ECS treatment, hippocampal choline increases significantly: Cho/tCr ratio: +13%
and Cho/NAA ratio: +19% increase.
Conclusions
We found a rise of relative choline concentration induced by ECS treatment in rat
hippocampus measured in vivo with magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This increase corresponds
to the increase of choline in human hippocampus after electroconvulsive shock treatment.
Because choline measured via 1H-spectroscopy is believed to represent primarily phosphocholine
and glycerophosphocholine, and therefore phospholipase A2 activity and membrane turnover,
our results are in good agreement with reported ECS-induced hippocampal mossy fiber
sprouting, increased synaptic plasticity, and neurogenesis.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
August 1,
2002
Received in revised form:
July 30,
2002
Received:
March 13,
2002
Identification
Copyright
© 2003 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
