title: A mathematical model for astrocytes mediated LTP at single hippocampal synapses.
abstract: Many contemporary studies have shown that astrocytes play a significant role in modulating both short and long form of synaptic plasticity. There are very few experimental models which elucidate the role of astrocyte over Long-term Potentiation (LTP). Recently, Perea and Araque (Science 317:1083-1086, 2007) demonstrated a role of astrocytes in induction of LTP at single hippocampal synapses. They suggested a purely pre-synaptic basis for induction of this N-methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) Receptor-independent LTP. Also, the mechanisms underlying this pre-synaptic induction were not investigated. Here, in this article, we propose a mathematical model for astrocyte modulated LTP which successfully imitates the experimental findings of Perea and Araque (Science 317:1083-1086, 2007). Our study suggests the role of retrograde messengers, possibly Nitric Oxide (NO), for this pre-synaptically modulated LTP.
authors.affiliation: Systems Science and Informatics Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 8th Mile, Mysore Road, Bangalore 560059, India. shivendra.tewari@gmail.com
authors.forename: Shivendra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tewari
authors.forename: Kaushik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Majumdar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001703:Biophysics; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D002118:Calcium