title: Lithium enhances synaptic transmission in neonatal rat hippocampus.
abstract: The effects of lithium on excitatory synaptic transmission were studied in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices taken from 14- to 30-day-old rats using extracellular recording techniques. Lithium (2-18 mM) reversibly increased the field excitatory postsynaptic potentials in a concentration-dependent manner. Application of lithium for 6-15 min had no effect on the synaptic input-output function, while application of lithium for 20-35 min shifted this curve to the left. Lithium reversibly increased the amplitude of the presynaptic fibre volley in a concentration- and calcium-dependent manner. Lithium decreased paired-pulse facilitation measured at 50-ms interstimulus intervals. The results indicate that lithium enhances excitatory synaptic transmission in CA1 pyramidal cells by at least two different actions.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valentín
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Garcia-Seoane
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic / Q000187:drug effects; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic; D008094:Lithium