title: Priming of long-term potentiation in mouse hippocampus by corticotropin-releasing factor and acute stress: implications for hippocampus-dependent learning.
abstract: In the present experiments, we characterized the action of human/rat corticotropin-releasing factor (h/rCRF) and acute stress (1 hr of immobilization) on hippocampus-dependent learning and on synaptic plasticity in the mouse hippocampus. We first showed that h/rCRF application and acute stress facilitated (primed) long-term potentiation of population spikes (PS-LTP) in the mouse hippocampus and enhanced context-dependent fear conditioning. Both the priming of PS-LTP and the improvement of context-dependent fear conditioning were prevented by the CRF receptor antagonist [Glu(11,16)]astressin. PS-LTP priming and improved learning were also reduced by the protein kinase C inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I. Acute stress induced the activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) 2 hr after the end of the stress session. The CaMKII inhibitor KN-62 antagonized the stress-mediated learning enhancement, however, with no effect on PS-LTP persistence. Thus, long-lasting increased neuronal excitability as reflected in PS-LTP priming appeared to be essential for the enhancement of learning in view of the observation that inhibition of PS-LTP priming was associated with impaired learning. Conversely, it was demonstrated that inhibition of CaMKII activity reduced contextual fear conditioning without affecting PS-LTP priming. This observation suggests that priming of PS-LTP and activation of CaMKII represent two essential mechanisms that may contribute independently to long-term memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, D-37075 Goettingen, Germany. blank@mail.em.mpg.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Blank
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nijholt
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eckart
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spiess
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005080:Exercise Test; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases