title: Nicotine uses neuron-glia communication to enhance hippocampal synaptic transmission and long-term memory.
abstract: Nicotine enhances synaptic transmission and facilitates long-term memory. Now it is known that bi-directional glia-neuron interactions play important roles in the physiology of the brain. However, the involvement of glial cells in the effects of nicotine has not been considered until now. In particular, the gliotransmitter D-serine, an endogenous co-agonist of NMDA receptors, enables different types of synaptic plasticity and memory in the hippocampus. Here, we report that hippocampal long-term synaptic plasticity induced by nicotine was annulled by an enzyme that degrades endogenous D-serine, or by an NMDA receptor antagonist that acts at the D-serine binding site. Accordingly, both effects of nicotine: the enhancement of synaptic transmission and facilitation of long-term memory were eliminated by impairing glial cells with fluoroacetate, and were restored with exogenous D-serine. Together, these results show that glial D-serine is essential for the long-term effects of nicotine on synaptic plasticity and memory, and they highlight the roles of glial cells as key participants in brain functions.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, México.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López-Hidalgo
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salgado-Puga
authors.forename: Reynaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alvarado-Martínez
authors.forename: Andrea Cristina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: Roberto A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Prado-Alcalá
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Colunga
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D057567:Memory, Long-Term / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D012694:Serine; D009538:Nicotine