NO mediates ginsenoside Rg1-induced long-term potentiation in anesthetized rats.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on synaptic transmission in anesthetized rats and the effect of NOS inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), on long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by Rg1.


METHODS
Extracellular recording technique was used to record the population spike (PS) in the dentate gyrus (DG) of anesthetized rats. Drug or vehicle injections were delivered via a cannula in the lateral cerebral ventricle.


RESULTS
Rg1 (10 and 100 nmol/L) enhanced the basic synaptic transmission and the magnitude of LTP induced by high frequency stimulation (HFS). Selective nNOS inhibitor 7-NI (5 nmol) icv could inhibit the induction of perforant path-dentate gyrus LTP elicited by Rg1 (P<0.05), and L-arginine 250 g/L ip prevented the action of 7-nitroindazole (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Rg1-accelerated synaptic transmission and nitric oxide produced by nNOS played a role in the induction of PP-DG LTP in anesthetized rats.
Wang
X Y
XY
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences &amp Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
Zhang
J T
JT
D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000502:physiology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D007191:Indazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D036145:Ginsenosides; D007191:Indazoles; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; C035054:ginsenoside Rg1; C080122:7-nitroindazole