ACETYLCHOLINE - OSCILLATION OF LEVELS IN MOUSE-BRAIN FOLLOWING ELECTROSHOCK

The acetylcholine contents of mouse brain regions were measured in ord er to investigate the response of cholinergic neurons to electroshock. In this study, mice were subjected to electroshock and then sacrifice d by microwave irradiation at time intervals of from 0.4 to 6.9 s afte r electroshock. In all of the brain regions studied, the acetylcholine concentration appeared to oscillate with a mean period of approximate ly 2.5 s following electroshock. The rate of recovery of acetylcholine after electroshock was calculated for each brain region from the osci llatory equation obtained by nonlinear regression analysis of the expe rimental data, The rates of synthesis of acetylcholine derived from th ese in vivo measurements were substantially higher than have been indi cated by other methods. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.