DARPP-32 expression in rat brain after electroconvulsive stimulation.

Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been used as a treatment for mental disorder since 1930s, little progress has been made in the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic or adverse effects. The aim of this work was to analyze the expression of DARPP-32 (a protein with a central role in dopaminergic signaling) in striatum, cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum of Wistar rats subjected to acute or chronic electroconvulsive stimulation (ECS). Rats were submitted to a single stimulation (acute) or to a series of eight stimulations, applied one every 48 h (chronic). Animals were killed for collection of tissue samples at time zero, 0.5, 3, 12, 24 and 48 h after stimulation in the acute model and at the same time intervals after the last stimulation in the chronic model. Our results indicated that acute ECS produces smaller changes in the expression of DARPP-32 but, interestingly, chronic ECS increased transient expression of DARPP-32 in several time frames, in striatum and hippocampus, after the last stimulation. Results on the expression of proteins involved in signaling pathways are relevant for neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment, in particular ECT, and can contribute to shed light on the mechanisms related to therapeutic and adverse effects.