AM251, a selective antagonist of the CB1 receptor, inhibits the induction of long-term potentiation and induces retrograde amnesia in rats.
Long-term potentiation (LTP) has a long history as putative mechanism of memory formation, specially in the hippocampus, a structure essential for memory formation. Endocannabinoids are one of the endogenous systems that modulate this plasticity event: the activation of hippocampal CB1 receptors may inhibit local GABA release. Here, we have studied both (1) the role of the selective CB1 antagonist AM251 upon LTP induction in a hippocampal slice preparation, and (2) the effect of its intrahippocampal administration in the step-down inhibitory avoidance (IA) and the open field habituation tasks (OF). Standard extracellular electrophysiology techniques were used to record field excitatory postsynaptic potentials from the dendritic region of CA1 neurons in response to a high frequency stimulation of Schaffer's collaterals; a micropipette ejected 0.2 microM of AM251 (in DMSO/PBS) 2 min before the stimulus: LTP was induced and lasted more than 30 min in the control, but not in the AM251-treated group. Immediately after training, either in IA (footshock, 0.5 mA) or OF, animals received a bilateral infusion of 0.55 or 5.5 ng/side of AM251 or its vehicle in the CA1 region, and test was performed 24 h later. AM251 has caused a significative decrease in the test step-down latency when compared to the control group, but no differences were detected in the OF task, including the number of crossings, i.e., there were no motor effects. The LTP supression could be caused by AM251 acting over GABAergic interneurons that modulate the LTP-bearing glutamatergic neurons. Endocanabinoids would then be the natural dis-inhibitors of local plasticity in the dorsal hippocampus, and the amnestic action of AM251 would be due to a disruption of this endogenous modulatory system.
de Oliveira Alvares
Lucas
L
Laboratório de Psicobiologia e Neurocomputação, Departamento de Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43422, room 208, CEP 91.501-970-Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Genro
Bruna Pasqualini
BP
Vaz Breda
Ricardo
R
Pedroso
Michele Franzen
MF
Da Costa
Jaderson Costa
JC
Quillfeldt
Jorge Alberto
JA
D000648:Amnesia, Retrograde / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
D010880:Piperidines; D011720:Pyrazoles; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; C103505:AM 251