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KMID : 0378019610040020075
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New Medical Journal
1961 Volume.4 No. 2 p.75 ~ p.82
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Experimental Studies on the Electroshock Convulsion
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Abstract
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Part 1 . The Influence of Electroshock on the Serum Calcium Level of the Rabbit
Since electroshock therapy was first introduced by Cerletti and Bini (1938) in psychiatric patients, it has been shown to have advantages over other convulsive treatments with respect to simplicity of the technique, side effects and hazard etc. Concerning the therapeutic efficacy numerous investigators have also reported that electroshock treatment may favorably compare with insulin-shock and cardiazol-shock treatments. The curative mechanism, however, of the electroshock therapy is still obscure, and, therefore, the knowledge of physiological changes during this treatment may eventually contribute to an understanding of this mechanism. Evidence has been obtained in our laboratory that the activation of the sympatho-adrenal system plays an important role in producing changes in the blood´ picture,- blood ´sugar and blood coagulation time following the electroshock convulsion. In view of the fact that the ion balance, with particular reference to- calcium, has been a point of especial interest, the.purpose of this investigation was to determine the changes of serum calcium level after the electroshock and then to elucidate the mechanism by which the observed changes are controlled.
The electroshock convulsion was produced by the application of two electrodes on both sides of the head of rabbits corresponding to the frontal areas. The electrodes were connected to alternating currents 80 of Volts with the duration of 3 seconds (appoximately 200m Amp.). Blood samples were drawn from the ear vein at various intervals after electroshock and the concentration of serum calcium was determined by the modification of Clark-Colhp.
Results
1. The electroshock convulsion was followed by a gradual decrease in the concentration of serum calcium, reaching the minimun value within 3 hours. However, a transitory sudden rise in serum calcium was noted be-fore this hypocalcemia in the mature rabbits above 2 Kg of body weight.
2. The intravenous injection of strychnine sulfate (0.2 mg/Kg) resulted in a tonic convulsion and produced a similar hypocalcemia as that observed in the electroshock convulsion but the intravenous injection of picrotoxin (0.2^1.5 mg/Kg), on the contrary, produced a slight hypercalcemia.
3. Bilateral splanchnicotomy markedly inhibited or blocked the serum calcium response to clectroshcok convulsion.
4. The intravenous injection of adrenalin (0.2 mg/Kg) produced a similar hypocalcemia as that observed in the electroshock convulsion and appears to augmant the hypocalcemia produced by electroshock.
5. The intravnous injection of ACTH (Acthar 2.5 mg/Kg) produced a slight decrease in the serum calcium level within one hour and had no influence on the hypocalcemia produced by electroshock.
From the above results it may be concluded that the hypocalcemia following the electroshock convulsion may be due to an increased secretion of the adrenal gland, particulary adrenalin-like substances.
Part 1 . Histological Changes of Adrenal Gland Following the Electroshock
Numerous investigators reported that adrenal gland plays an important role in producing various biological changes following the electroshock convulsion.. In the following studies, an. attempt has been made to examine
histologically the effects of electroshock on the adrenal cortex and medulla. Rats were subjected to electroshock convulsion once a day for the period of 3, 7 or 14 days and then were killed for histological examination of adrenal gland 24 hours after the last electroshock convulsion.
It was difficult to note any changes in the adrenal glands of rats which were subjected to electroshock convulsion for 3 days but marked histological changes accompanied with an enlargement of adrenal gland were observed in those animals subjected to electroshock for 7 days or more. The prominent histological changes in the adrenal cortex were the hypertrophy of fascicular zone, the atrophy of $lomerular zone, and the hyperemia of reticular zone. The adrenal medulla was generally undergone into the degenerative atrophy.
The above changes in the adrenal cortex and medulla appear to be similar to those described by Selye in the animals under continuous stress.
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