title: A beta 25-35-induced depression of long-term potentiation in area CA1 in vivo and in vitro is attenuated by verapamil.
abstract: The effect of intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of A beta 25-35 and/or intraperitoneal (ip) application of the L-type calcium channel (VDCC) blockers verapamil or diltiazem were examined in vivo. To by-pass possible systemic actions of these agents, their effects on long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of the in vitro hippocampal slice preparation were also examined. Application of A beta 25-35 (10 nmol in 5 microl, i.c.v.) significantly impaired LTP in vivo, as did IP injection of verapamil (1 or 10 mg/kg) or diltiazem (1 or 10 mg/kg). In the in vitro slice preparation, LTP was also depressed by prior application of A beta 25-35 (500 nmol), verapamil (20 microM), or diltiazem (50 microM). Combined application of A beta 25-35 and verapamil in either the in vivo or in vitro preparation resulted in a significant reversal of the LTP depression observed in the presence of either agent alone. However, co-application of diltiazem and A beta 25-35 failed to attenuate the depression of LTP observed in the presence of either agent alone in vivo or in vitro. Since LTP is a cellular correlate of memory and A beta is known to be involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD), these results indicate that verapamil, a phenylalkylamine, may be useful in the treatment of cognitive deficits associated with AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Freir
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Costello
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Herron
mesh_terms: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000494:pharmacology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D036881:Long-Term Synaptic Depression / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C074636:amyloid beta-protein (25-35); D014700:Verapamil; D004110:Diltiazem