title: Systemic administration of lentinan, a branched beta-glucan, enhances long-term potentiation in the rat dentate gyrus in vivo.
abstract: We investigated the effects of oral and intravenous application of lentinan, a branched beta-glucan, on the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the rat dentate gyrus in vivo. Oral administration of lentinan (200 mg/kg) enhanced the induction of LTP evoked by sub-threshold tetanic stimulation (20 pulses at 60 Hz) of the perforant pathway without affecting normal synaptic potentials. Intravenous injection of the compound (0.2-10.0 mg/kg) also enhanced the induction of LTP in a bell-shaped manner, whereas it had no effect on LTP evoked by supra-threshold tetanic stimulation (100 pulses at 100 Hz). Structurally related beta-glucans did not mimic the lentinan-triggered enhancement of LTP. These results suggest that peripherally applied lentinan facilitates the synaptic efficacy of the dentate gyrus neurons in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. edagawa@pha.nihon-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Edagawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smriga
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005936:Glucans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007912:Lentinan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D047071:beta-Glucans
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D005936:Glucans; D047071:beta-Glucans; D007912:Lentinan; C064197:beta-1,6-glucan; C033363:beta-1,3-glucan