title: Long-term enhancement of excitatory synaptic inputs to layer V parahippocampal neurons by low frequency stimulation in rat brain slices.
abstract: Excitatory inputs to layer V neurons of the parasubiculum and medial entorhinal cortex were examined in rat brain slices with intracellular and field potential recordings. Single extracellular stimuli to layer V evoked subthreshold excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) or a long duration (>100 ms) depolarization that sustained high frequency firing. Repetitive stimulation at low frequencies (from 1/10 s to 1/min) induced stable long-lasting decreases in the threshold for firing in individual cells or population events, and also induced stable long-lasting increases in evoked intracellular or field response amplitudes. More stimuli were required to produce the equivalent changes in threshold and amplitude in the presence of MCPG (200 microM). Smaller changes in amplitude, but equivalent changes in threshold were elicited in the presence of CPP (10 microM), or CPPG (20 microM). No changes in threshold or amplitude were detected in the presence of CNQX (10 microM), even when used in combination with picrotoxin (100 microM). EPSP facilitation was enhanced greatly by firing in postsynaptic cells. It is suggested that stable changes in excitatory inputs to layer V parahippocampal neurons involve the activation of NMDA and metabotropic glutamate receptors, but requires AMPA receptor activation and postsynaptic cell firing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Physiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama 700-8525, Japan. mfuna@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Funahashi
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003344:Cortical Synchronization; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020534:Parahippocampal Gyrus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate