Footshock stress alters early postnatal development of electrophysiological responses and caspase-3 activity in rat hippocampus.
Postnatal changes in population spike (PS) amplitudes and caspase-3 activity were compared in the hippocampi of control rats and experimental animals subjected to a brief footshock on postnatal day (PD) 13. Footshock induced an increase in maximal PS amplitudes during the early period (from PD 14 to PD 16), however, the difference between stressed and control animals gradually decreased with age up to PD 21. No difference between hippocampal caspase-3 activity in control and footshock groups was revealed within the PD 14-17. However, caspase-3 activity in the latter group was significantly lower over the next period of postnatal development (PD 18-21). PS amplitudes in the slices of the footshock group significantly increased over PD 22-27. We suggest that footshock activates the development of hippocampal circuitry during early phases, this phenomenon mediating enhanced responsiveness as a result of an increased production of synaptic connections and related decrease in neuronal loss.
Kudryashov
Igor E
IE
Department of Neuroontogenesis, Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5a Butlerov Str, Moscow 117865, Russia.
Yakovlev
Alexander A
AA
Kudryashova
IrinaV
I
Gulyaeva
Natalia V
NV
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D004597:Electroshock; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051381:Rats; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*
D018698:Glutamic Acid; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases