[³H]Hemicholinium-3 binding in rats with status epilepticus induced by lithium chloride and pilocarpine

The specific binding of [³H]hemicholinium-3 ([³H]HCh-3) and high-affinity [³H]choline uptake were measured in rats with status epilepticus induced by lithium and pilocarpine. The specific binding of [³H]HCh-3 in cortex and hippocampus from rats with status epilepticus increased to 2- to 3-fold of control while the striatal [³H]HCh-3 binding increased minimally. Scatchard analyses revealed that the observed changes resulted from an increase in B_max of [³H]HCh-3 binding. High-affinity [³H]choline uptake remained unchanged. These results further implicate phospholipase A₂ in the regulation of [³H]HCh-3 binding sites.