Altered CSF constituents and retrograde amnesia in rats: A biochemical approach

A parametric estimation was conducted on the concentrations of certain substances in CSF as a function of time after electroconvulsive shock treatment that produced retrograde amnesia in rat. The substances of particular interest were hexoses, and the electrolytes sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The concentrations of each substance were expressed as percent change after treatment from an initial concentration taken from each animal before treatment. Considerable increases in hexose and calcium concentrations were observed at 5 min after electroshock treatment, while concentrations for sodium, potassium and magnesium demonstrated little change at the 5 min observation. Values for all five biochemical variables comparable to their control values were observed at subsequent time intervals. Concentrations for these five biochemical variables were established for both CSF and blood in rat, and compared to those values reported for rabbit. The argument is advanced that protein synthesis inhibition following ECS is secondary to the disruption of membrane surface glycoproteins and that the disruption of these glycoproteins plays a major role in the production of retrograde amnesia.