title: Long-term synaptic depression in the adult entorhinal cortex in vivo.
abstract: The piriform cortex provides a major input to the entorhinal cortex. Mechanisms of long-term depression (LTD) of synaptic transmission in this pathway may affect olfactory and mnemonic processing. We have investigated stimulation parameters for the induction of homosynaptic LTD and depotentiation in this pathway using evoked synaptic field potential recordings in the awake rat. In this study, 15 min of 1-Hz stimulation induced a transient (< 5 min) depression of evoked responses but did not induce LTD or depotentiation. To determine whether inhibitory and/or facilitatory mechanisms contribute to LTD induction, repetitive delivery of pairs of stimulation pulses was also assessed. Repetitive paired-pulse stimulation with a 10-ms interval between pulses, which activates inhibitory mechanisms during the second response, did not reliably induce LTD. However, repetitive paired-pulse stimulation using a 30-ms interval, which evokes marked paired-pulse facilitation, resulted in synaptic depression that lasted > or = 1 day, and which was reversible by tetanization. The selective induction of LTD by stimulation that evokes paired-pulse facilitation suggests that strong synaptic activation is required for LTD induction. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg) blocked the induction of LTD, indicating that NMDA receptor activation is required for LTD induction in this pathway. These results indicate that LTD in piriform cortex inputs to the entorhinal cortex in the awake rat is effectively induced by strong repetitive synaptic stimulation, and that this form of LTD is dependent on activation of NMDA receptors.
authors: Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors: Raby
authors: R
authors: Bouras
authors: C Andrew
authors: CA
authors: Chapman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D036881:Long-Term Synaptic Depression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; 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; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate