title: Diphenylhydantoin protects against hypoxia-induced impairment of hippocampal synaptic transmission.
abstract: The ability of diphenylhydantoin (DPH) to protect against hypoxia-induced neuronal damage was examined using electrophysiological recordings of extracellular evoked potentials from CA1 pyramidal neurons of rat hippocampal slices in vitro. In normal medium, a 15-min hypoxic insult (95% N2/5% CO2) produced rapid and complete loss of Schaffer collateral synaptic transmission, which only recovered to 20% of pre-hypoxia values after 90 min of reoxygenation. DPH (20 microM) bath applied prior to onset of hypoxia slowed the loss of transmission during hypoxia, and led to 75% recovery of evoked potentials upon reoxygenation. Thus, DPH appears to protect against hypoxia-induced loss of synaptic transmission, and may thereby lessen neuronal damage and cognitive dysfunction associated with stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Stanton
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Moskal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010672:Phenytoin