title: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates inhibitory, but not excitatory, transmission in the CA1 region of the hippocampus.
abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates inhibitory, but not excitatory, transmission in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 3383-3386, 1998. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been reported to have rapid effects on synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. We report here that bath application of BDNF causes a small but significant decrease in stimulus-evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) on CA1 pyramidal cells, which is prevented by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor lavendustin A. BDNF causes a decrease in the 1/CV2 of the IPSC, and also reduces paired-pulse depression of the IPSC, suggesting a presynaptic site of action. In contrast, BDNF did not have a detectable effect on field excitatory postsynaptic potentials measured in stratum radiatum. We conclude that BDNF has a selective depressant action on inhibitory transmission in the hippocampus, due at least in part to a presynaptic mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frerking
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Malenka
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Nicoll
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases