title: The effects of ethanol and crocin on the induction of long-term potentiation in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices.
abstract: The effects of ethanol and crocin on the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) were investigated in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices in vitro. Ethanol (50-75 mM) suppressed the LTP induced by strong tetanic stimulation (51 pulses at 100 Hz). Crocin (20 microM) did not affect the baseline synaptic responses, but significantly prevented the LTP-suppressing action of ethanol. This effect of crocin was concentration dependent (10-30 microM). Crocin (20 microM) alone did not affect the potentiation induced by weak tetanic stimulation (11 pulses at 100 Hz). These in vitro observations suggest that crocin directly prevents the LTP-suppressing action of ethanol within the hippocampus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003212:Condiments; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D002338:Carotenoids; D000431:Ethanol; C029036:crocin