title: Vitamin D supplementation restores suppressed synaptic plasticity in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hippocampus, an appropriate area of brain for assessment of long-term potentiation (LTP), has been found to be susceptible to neural damages caused by Alzheimer's disease. Evidence indicates that vitamin D supports nerve transmission and synaptic plasticity. Vitamin D receptors are expressed in the hippocampus.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study evaluates occurrence of LTP in the control (CON) group fed with normal regimen and, three groups of Aβ-treated rats taking normal (ALZ), vitamin D-free (ALZ - D), or 1,25(OH)2D3 supplemented (ALZ + D) food regimens. In in vivo experiments pre- and post-tetanus field extracellular postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) were recorded in the CA3-CA1 pathway.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the amplitude of baseline fEPSPs was significantly lower in the ALZ group compared with the CON one; lack of vitamin D further declined the amplitude of responses in the ALZ - D animals. While the tetanic stimulation elicited a considerable LTP in the CON rats it was failed to induce LTP in the ALZ animals. Furthermore, the tetanus considerably depressed the amplitude of recordings in the ALZ - D group. 1,25(OH)2D3 supplementation restored post-tetanus potentiation of fEPSPs amplitude in the ALZ + D groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings signify the crucial role of vitamin D on the basic synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taghizadeh
authors.forename: Sayyed Alireza
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Talaei
authors.forename: Abolghasem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Djazayeri
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salami
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Hippocampus; Long-term potentiation; Vitamin D