Summary
We have compared the effects of electric foot shock in unhandled rats with those observed in rats previously exposed to repeated shock sessions. Acute electric shock causes a decrease in the concentration of norepinephrine in the brain. We have found, however, that prior shock experience modifies the physiological response of the rat to electric stimuli such that subsequent shock causes a smaller net depletion of brain norepinephrine. This effect is long-lasting and is associated with a decrease in the lethality of electric foot shock.
Zusammenfassung
Die Effekte von Elektroschocks an den Pfoten von Ratten, die zuvor nie solche Schocks erlitten, wurden mit denen bei Ratten, die vorher mehrmals diese Art von Schock hatten erleiden müssen, verglichen. Es zeigt sich, daß akute Schockbehandlung eine Herabsetzung der Noradrenalinkonzentration im Gehirn zur Folge hat. Weiter konnte festgestellt werden, daß Schockerfahrung die physiologische Reaktion der Ratte auf Elektroschock ändert, und zwar so, daß wiederholte Schocks eine geringfügigere Erniedrigung der Noradrenalinkonzentration im Gehirn bewirken. Dieser Effekt bleibt während einer längeren Zeit bestehen und ist mit einer Herabsetzung der Letalität nach Elektroschock an der Rattenpfote verbunden.
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This work was submitted to the Department of Psychology (Biopsychology) at The University of Chicago, in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Zigmond, 1968).
The investigation was supported by USPHS Grant MH-06346-06, NIMH Research Career Program Award K3-MH 21,849-05; (J. A. H.) and USPHS Predoctoral Fellowship Award 5 F1 MH-23,741-03 (M.J.Z.). The authors wish to thank Dr.Daniel X. Freedman and Dr.Robert A. McCleary for their suggestions during the course of this research and Dr.Richard J. Wurtman for his helpful criticism of the manuscript.
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Zigmond, M.J., Harvey, J.A. Resistance to central norepinephrine depletion and decreased mortality in rats chronically exposed to electric foot shock. J. Neuro-Viscer. Relat 31, 373–381 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02312738
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02312738