EFFECTS OF ELECTROCONVULSIVE SHOCK ON THE LEVELS OF HSP70 AND HSC73 MESSENGER-RNA IN THE RAT-BRAIN

We evaluated the effects of electroconvulsive shock (ECS) on the expre ssion of two genes encoding 70 kDa stress proteins, in the rat brain. The study was carried out by in situ hybridization using oligonucleoti de probes specific for either the constitutively expressed hsc73, or t he strictly inducible hsp70 gene. Rats were submitted to single or rep eated (7 days, one session for each day) sessions of Electroconvulsive Shock. Animals were sacrificed at various time after treatment. ECS e nhanced the basal expression of hsc73 in limbic areas, such as dentate gyrus, CA3, and median habenular nucleus. ECS induced hsp70 mRNA, whi ch was not detectable in control animals, specifically in the Dentate Gyrus. The effect was present 2 h following treatment. Both single and repeated ECS were similarly effective. The finding likely reflects ne uroadaptive local changes associated with a generalized seizure activi ty.